Marylou Sudders, the Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced today a range of actions on healthcare the state is taking in its effort to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Anyone with coverage from MassHealth, as of March 18, 2020, will be covered under their current coverage for the duration of the national emergency. There is no requirement to submit additional paperwork.
The state also announced a $200 million cash infusion into MassHealth for critical, acute care and safety net care providers and certain other providers. This will provide accelerated payments and cash advances for immediate, stopgap relief to the front-line of the healthcare system.
Fast Track for Enrollment
The state is also filing a waiver request with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
If approved, the state will fast-track MassHealth enrollment by expanding Hospital-Determined Presumptive Eligibility to all individuals.
Hospital-Determined Presumptive Eligibility allows hospitals to determine eligibility for MassHealth on an interim basis without waiting for approval from the state.
The program was previously expanded to include children, older adults and those who previously received MassHealth benefits within the last 12 months. If approved, all individuals will be eligible.
Preparing for Increased Demand
Massachusetts also wants to take a range of actions to prepare for increased demand on the front-line healthcare delivery.
Additional requests for approval will include the state being permitted to:
- Establish non-traditional sites of care, such as testing tents and overflow hospital sites.
- Allow new providers, including those from out of state, a streamlined pathway to practice in the state and provide care to MassHealth members.
- Provide flexibility to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to meet increasing demand.
- Allow physician assistants to practice independently.
- Allow medication deliveries to patients without a signature requirement.
- Wave face-to-face meeting requirements for certain services. including Home and Community Based Services and behavioral health evaluations for Schedule II-IV prescriptions.
