This chartbook is a tool to broaden our understanding of the more than half a million people who lack health coverage in Massachusetts, and support the development of policies to help them.

As many as 106,000 of the State's 460,000 uninsured residents could be eligible for MassHealth coverage. The Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute's new issue brief "Eligible but Uninsured: Challenges to Getting and Keeping MassHealth" describes current initiatives to enroll the eligible uninsured and examines some of the barriers Massachusetts residents face to getting and retaining MassHealth benefits.

An examination of the costs of providing care for uninsured Massachusetts residents.

The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 created a new drug benefit for Medicare recipients, which began in 2006. The new law had significant effects on the Massachusetts Medicaid program, which at the time provided prescription drug and other benefits to about 190,000 Medicare beneficiaries. This policy brief identifies the key factors affecting the interaction between Medicare and Medicaid and describes the impacts "financial, programmatic and administrative" of the new drug benefit on the Medicaid program in Massachusetts.

Non-elderly people with disabilities comprise one-fifth of MassHealth enrollment and an even larger share of expenditures, yet their circumstances and the crucial role of Medicaid in financing essential services for them are not well understood. This comprehensive report seeks to promote such understanding and support informed policy discussions about this group.

An examination of the issue of medical debt among Massachusetts residents. This report was written before the passage and implementation of the 2006 health reform law.

Report on 2003 public opinion survey finds that most people in the Commonwealth strongly believe that everyone in the state should be able to get the health care they need and are supportive of a number of proposals to ensure this. However, the survey also finds numerous challenges to significant action at the state level and points to the need for strong leadership on this issue.

Highlights of the states experience in health reform with descriptions of the challenges ahead in passing comprehensive health reform legislation.

A description of who the uninsured are in Massachusetts and how they are impacted by a lack of insurance.

The Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI) hosted a webinar with author Bob Seifert, Principal Associate, from the Center for Health Law and Economics, University of Massachusetts Medical School to review the updated summary data on MassHealth enrollment and spending that was featured in our recently updated edition of MassHealth: The Basics - Facts and Trends.

This webinar featured a review of the Foundation's recently released Massachusetts Health Equity Initiative Inventory. During the webinar the speakers discussed the impetus for the Inventory, shared key takeaways and lessons learned from compiling this resource, and highlighted how it may be used by organizations in various phases of their health equity journey. The webinar also featured a demonstration of how to use this interactive tool.

The Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute, a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and Pine Street Inn held an event to present the findings of a study analyzing the impact of the Community Support Program for Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (CSPECH) on the utilization and cost of health care services. CSPECH is an innovative program through which MassHealth reimburses community-based support services provided to chronically homeless individuals residing in permanent supportive housing. Findings show that coupling supportive services like the type provided by CSPECH with permanent housing can lead to substantial improvements in housing stability and significant reductions in the utilization of acute health care services. The event also featured a former CSPECH client who shared how the program resulted in significant improvements to his life. 

The Foundation hosted a webinar on Wednesday, May 28th from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM with author, Robert Seifert, who reviewed key findings from a recent issue brief, which is intended to lay the groundwork for future research and analysis on state health planning. The webinar also featured remarks from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission focused on the recently enacted law that established the Office of Health Resource Planning. As the name suggests, this new office has a clear health planning mandate. 

Last fall, the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI), a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, released a report identifying reform of long-term services and supports (LTSS) as one of five priority issue areas with regard to MassHealth for the new administration.

As the primary payer of LTSS in Massachusetts – accounting for nearly half of all LTSS spending – MassHealth could see its LTSS costs more than double by 2030. Facing a growing elder population and people with disabilities living longer, Massachusetts has the opportunity to improve its LTSS services to better meet the needs of people with disabilities and do so in a more cost effective manner.

This event featured an examination of the current state of LTSS in Massachusetts by Carol Raphael of Manatt Health Solutions who is one of the foremost national experts in LTSS, was President Obama’s appointee to the federal Commission on Long-Term Care and serves as chair of the AARP board and chair of the Long-Term Quality Alliance. The event also included a discussion of innovative models and strategies in use by Medicaid programs in Minnesota and Washington states, as well as a presentation by the National Association of Medicaid Directors. The event also featured a panel of people who are currently on the frontlines of the Massachusetts system.

Social Equity & Health: Laying the Groundwork
Understanding the relationship between social factors and health

The relationship between social factors and health outcomes is widely discussed in academic circles but implementing policies and practices that reflect this relationship continues to prove challenging. This event featured presentations from three experts who are breaking new ground in this field and discussion on how we can work together to identify innovative opportunities to address this important issue.

A special thanks to Dr. Monica Bharel & Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program for their help in making this event possible.