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2024 Newsletters

April 2024

• Family Shelter Time Limits Likely
• State SNAP Benefits for Certain Legal Immigrants Ending Unless Additional Funding Approved
• MA Child and Dependent Credit - Including for Undocumented Kids and Those Who Don’t Owe Taxes
• The Blue Envelope May Make Traffic Stops Safer for People with Autism
• Governor’s Council Approves Blanket Pardon for Cannabis Possession Charges
• Homeland Security Extends Work Permits
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Immigration Advocate Legal Helpline
  • Mass Legal Help Website Relaunch
  • Free Online Publication - Surviving Debt
  • Norfolk County Sheriff Opens Center to Help People Build Stable Lives After Incarceration
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Approves MassHealth Demonstration Projects Expand Connector Subsidies, Increase Retroactive Eligibility and More
  • New Medicaid Rule Aims to Simplify Enrollment
  • MassHealth Language Access Plan
  • MassHealth DME Power Wheelchair Benefit
  • Last Day to Apply for MassHealth Mitigating the Costs of Housing (MATCH) is May 10
  • Postal Service Health Benefits are Changing
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Advocates Say State Needs a Right to Representation in Eviction Cases
  • Even with Work Permits, Migrants in Shelters Struggle to Find Self-Sustaining Jobs
  • Analysis - Dollars, Cents and the Migrant Story You Aren’t Reading
  • Biden Administration Restores Health Protections for Gay and Transgender People
  • State Ends Housing Programs for Those in Mass. and Cass Encampment
  • New Federal Rules on Minimum Nursing Home Staffing Standards
  • Hospitals Forced to Revamp Business Models or Risk Losing Patients

 

March 2024

• Mass. to Open New Safety-Net Migrant Shelter, Adds Requirements Remain in Safety-Net Shelter
• Work Authorization for Migrant Arrivals Stagnant Since December
• Social Security Eliminates Overpayment Burden for Beneficiaries - Automatic Overpayment Recovery Rate Reduced to 10 Percent
• Social Security to Remove Food as “In-Kind Support”
• MBTA Will Offer Half-Price Fares to Low-Income Riders Pending Funding
• Congress Restores Federal Benefits Eligibility for COFA Citizens in the US and VA Care for COFA Veterans
• Competitive Energy Suppliers Say They Can Save You Money- Regulators Say it’s a Scam
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • MGB ACO Flexible Services Offers Small Home Modifications and Special Asthma Services
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Permanently Eliminates Copayments
• Recourse for Privately Insured Patients Who Get Surprise Balance Bills
• Sen Warren Cautions Seniors About Medicare Advantage Plans
• Study - Medicare Advantage Patients Get Less Home Health Care
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Opinion - How is it That Only Eight Massachusetts Housing Authorities out of 120 Eligible Have Accessed HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence vouchers?
  • Why Advocates Say a 9-Month Shelter Limit Will Worsen Mass. Housing Crisis
  • Opinion - Mass. Wheelchair Repair System is a Disgrace
  • Opinion - Remove the Social Worker Exam Requirement and Pay SW Interns

 

February 2024

• State SNAP Benefits for Certain LEGAL Immigrants Now Available
• Moving and Advancing of Massachusetts and Connecticut Immigration Court Hearings- Immigrants Should Check Their Court Date and Location
• New Biden Loan Forgiveness to Save Mass Borrowers $19.5M
• Major Barriers Persist for Formerly Incarcerated People Who Need IDs
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Mass Doctors Hail New Federal Rule Expanding Access to Methadone
• Health Care Coverage
  • Commercial Health Insurance Special Enrollment Period Extended Due to MassHealth Redeterminations
  • People Can Get Even More Medicare D Extra Help in 2024
  • Medicare Reminder - Phases of Part D coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Shelter in Roxbury Rec Center Fills Up Quickly
  • La Colaborativa Day Shelter Serving Migrant Families Opens in Chelsea – Exceeds 200-Person Capacity in First Day
  • Opinion- Gov’s Proposed PCA Cuts May Deny Services to Thousands of People with Disabilities
  • Opinion: Mass Burdens Poor by Overly Aggressive Policy to Recoup Medicaid Costs After Death
  • Opinion - Bear Mountain Nursing Home Report Alleges Neglect, Overmedication; State Must Do More

 

January 2024

• Affordable Connectivity Program Ending Unless New Funding Allocated
• New State-Funded SNAP for Certain Immigrants
• Trouble-Shooting SNAP Denials and Application Tip – Apply In-Person or on the Phone
• Undocumented MA Students May Now Qualify for In-State Tuition and Financial Aid
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Free Virtual Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop for Cambridge and Somerville Residents 60+
  • Wu Announces Free Museum Admission for BPS Students and Families
• Health Care Coverage
  • 2024 SSI & MassHealth Eligibility Updates
  • MassHealth Up to Three Months Retroactive Eligibility Will be Available for Pregnant Individuals and Children Under 19 – Must Notify MassHealth of Bills
  • What are the Medicare costs for 2024?
  • Few Beneficiaries Know Medicare Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap Now in Effect
  • Medicare Now Covers Licensed Marriage and Family Counselors and Licensed Professional Counselors
  • Older Americans Say They Feel Trapped in Medicare Advantage Plans
• Policy & Social Issues
  • With Overflow Shelters Full, Families Huddle in Cars and at Logan
  • New Overflow Shelter for Homeless Families at Roxbury Recreational Center
  • As Shelter System Struggles, Healey to Launch Pilot Program to House, Employ Migrants
  • There are Even Fewer Affordable Apartments in Massachusetts Than We Thought
  • Middlesex County Restoration Pilot – Law Enforcement-Focused Crisis Diversion Facility Closer to Becoming Reality
  • Boston Families Will Soon Have Access to Grants from Opioid Settlement Funds
  • Biden Administration Rescinds Much of Trump ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers
  • Company that Runs Healthcare at Mass Prisons Under Scrutiny as Contract Nears Renewal

 

2023 Newsletters

December 2023

• Family Shelter Updates
• New State SNAP Funding Will Allow Additional Legal Immigrants to Qualify - Those Eligible Should Apply Now
• MA PFML Maximum Benefit for 2024
• SSI Advocacy Tips
• Undocumented Immigrants Face Issues Getting Driver’s Licenses in Mass Despite New Law
• Some Medicare Enrollees to Receive New Medicare Number Due to Data Breach
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New Group Coming to Boston Will Provide Low-Interest Loans to People Returning from Prison
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Will Cover Doula Services - Expected in Spring
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Clinic Helped Over 1,700 Migrants with Getting Work Permits
  • 48 Million Americans Live With Addiction - How to Get Them Help That Works
  • Opinion: Tenants Facing Eviction Need Lawyers
  • Company that Runs Healthcare at Mass Prisons Under Scrutiny as Contract Nears Renewal

 

 

November 2023

• Winter Moratorium on Utility Shut-Offs Now in Effect- Not All Are Covered
• Employees Can Now “Top-Off” MA PFML
• 2024 Medicaid SSI Spousal Impoverishment and Medicare Savings Program Financial Eligibility Standards
• 4 More Free COVID tests Will be Available to Each Household Ahead of the Holidays
• 88,000 people dropped from MassHealth in October, Most for Lack of Information
• Those Whose SSI was Wrongly Reduced or Terminated During the Early Pandemic Will be Repaid
• Head Start Staff Shortages Lead to Waitlists and Closures
• Mass. Attorney General Reaches $8M Settlement with Rent-A-Center
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • BMC offers Job Training to Patients to Join Their Workforce
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Finalizes Rule Improving Medicare Dental Coverage for Cancer Patients
  • New Video Explains Supplemental Benefits for Consumers Considering Medicare Advantage Plans
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Adult Shelters Overflowing
  • Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Reaches New Capacity Limit; Families on Waitlist and Most Have Nowhere to Go
  • Bill Would Allow Pay for Caregiving Spouses
  • New Grants for Medical Respite Program Pilot, But Accept Referrals from Specific Providers/Geographic Areas Only
  • MassHealth Programs to Help Wheelchair Users with Slow Repairs are Themselves Delayed
  • Latino Children are More Likely to Enter Foster Care in Massachusetts Than Any Other State
  • With Funding Challenges Looming, Mass. Child Care Could be in Jeopardy
  • Patients Don’t Know How to Navigate the US Health System - and it’s Costing Them
  • Healey Proposes Mass Rehab Name Change to MassAbility to Reduce Stigma
  • Apartment Application Fees Add Up- and Some are Illegal

 

October 2023

• Healey says Mass. Can No Longer Guarantee Room in Family Shelter System
• SNAP Benefits will Continue Uninterrupted in November and December if there is a November Government Shutdown
• DTA Now Issuing Replacement Payments with Federal Dollars when SNAP Benefits are Stolen but Signature Needed
• Social Security Benefits Increase in 2024
• Mass. Updates Child Care Assistance Application to Allow Virtual Communication
• Legislators Override Two Dozen Healey Vetoes
• Issue Briefs- Reconnecting Formerly Incarcerated People to SSI, SSDI and Medicare
• How Money Damages, Court Settlements and Lump-Sum Inheritances Affect Public Benefits Reference Guide, Updated for 2023
• Boston Medical Center Providing Electricity Credits
• Court Strikes Down HHS Rule Allowing Insurers to Exclude Co-Pay Assistance Towards Out-of-Pocket Maximums
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Handouts for New Arrivals - “Living in the US”
  • Handout for Immigrant Families - Your Child’s Education Rights
  • Think:Kids Parent Class  – Learn Collaborative Problem Solving
  • Roxbury Community College Opens a Food Pantry
  • Concert Health, Mass General Brigham to Integrate Behavioral Health Services for All Insurance Types
• Health Care Coverage
  • 2024 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles
  • MassHealth Covers 2 COVID Antigen Tests Per 28 Days without Prior Authorization
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Seeking Solutions for Wheelchair Repairs that Can Drag Out for Months
  • Advocates Call for Paid Family and Medical Leave Fixes
  • MA Affordable Homes Act Would Create New Real Estate Tax to Be Used for Affordable Housing and Also Seal Eviction Records
  • The Boston Suburbs Cynical Ploy to Keep Poor Families Out- Use Seniors as a Shield

 

September 2023

• State Funds Mass Hotline to Reduce Risk of Fatal Overdoses (‘Never Use Alone’)
• It’s LIHEAP Season - Online Application Opens October 1
• Impact of Possible Government Shut-Down on Food and Other Programs in MA
• Free lunch in Mass. Isn’t Always Free - Parents May be Charged for Seconds and a la Carte Items
• MA Veterans Discharged Due to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” May Now Qualify for State Veterans’ Benefits
• Fairmount Commuter Rail Line to Be Free during 16-Day Red Line Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Closure
• Glitch Deprived Some 4,800 Mass Residents of Medicaid Coverage
• New FAQ: What to Do When a Nursing Facility Tries to Force Payment from Friends or Family
• Program Highlights
  • Feds Restarting Free Mail-Order Covid Test Program
• Health Care Coverage
  • Information for Pregnant MassHealth Members Includes Array of Covered Services
  • Is RSV Vaccine Covered by Medicare?
  • CMS Simplifies Enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs
• Policy & Social Issues
  • '90-day Push' to Fill Vacancies in State Public Housing
  • What’s in the MA 2023 Tax Relief Package

 

August 2023

• State Budget Makes Free School Meals Permanent, Reinstates RAFT Hold on Evictions, Pilots ConnectorCare Income Limit Increase and More
• MA Opens Second Family Welcome Center - This One in Quincy
• Up to 93 Migrant Families to be Housed at Foxboro Hotel
• Pilot will Extend ConnectorCare Income Limit
• DTA Assistance Line High Volume Challenges - Advocacy Tips
• New SNAP Medical Expenses Form
• More Older Adults Fill Insulin Prescriptions Under Inflation Reduction Act
• There’s Still Time for Long-Term Borrowers to Qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness Under Adjustment
• Extension and Redesignation of Ukraine for TPS and New Resource Eligibility
• Program Highlights
  • City of Boston Offering Free COVID Tests
• Health Care Coverage
  • Special Medicare Enrollment Period for those Losing Medicaid after the PHE
  • Update to MassHealth CommonHealth Eligibility for Seniors
  • Medicare Reminder - Insulin Coverage and Costs
  • Medicare Reminder - Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage Plans
• Policy & Social Issues
  • AGs Join Call for Feds to Speed Migrant Work Approvals
  • Loss of Nonemergency Ambulance for Disabled People Leaves Many Trapped in Their Homes

 

July 2023

• Clarification of End to RAFT Stipend Reported Last Month
• New MassHealth Complex Care Assistant Program Will Allow Legally Responsible Relatives - and Others - to Get Paid for Care for Eligible Patients
• CARES - New MassHealth Care Coordination Program for Medically Complex Kids - coming soon!
• First Six Months of the State’s Mental Health Overhaul Reveal Promise and Challenges
• Long a Sore Spot for Riders with Disabilities, Service on the RIDE has Gotten Worse Because of Staffing Shortages
• Family Shelters in Mass. Reach New Record Occupancy
• Court Blocks Biden Administrations New Restrictive Asylum Policy – but Block On Hold
• Student Loan Forgiveness is on the Way for Qualified Long-Term Borrowers
• Massachusetts Rolls Out Online Assistance Guide for Flood Victims
• Outer Cape Towns Little Served with Public Dial-A-Ride Service
• Former Becker College Dorms in Leicester to Serve as Shelter for 66 Families
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New App Allows People with Disabilities to Report and Respond to Abuse
  • “How to Get On” Website - Self-Advocacy Guide for People with Disabilities
• Health Care Coverage
  • MLRI's New MassHealth Redeterminations Website
  • Medicare Reminder: Medicare Coverage of Non-Emergency Ambulance
  • Medicare Reminder: Medicare and Dental Care
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Bill Would Make Kids Without Legal Immigration Status Eligible for MassHealth
  • The Pandemic Brought New Rules for Assisted Living Facilities - Will Massachusetts Keep Them?
  • Editorial - Does a Housing Application Really Need to be 30 Pages Long?
  • Thousands of Mass. Residents Languish on Subsidized Housing Wait Lists

 

June 2023

• New Family Welcome Center for Immigrant and Homeless Families
• RAFT Decreasing Benefit Limit and Eliminating Future Rent Payments Effective July 1, 2023
• HAF Ends - RAFT Resumes Assisting Eligible Homeowners
• New Law Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Get Driver’s Licenses Effective July 1
• SNAP Interim Reports - Households Must Respond to Maintain Benefits
• Low MA Unemployment Requires State to Reduce Maximum Length of Unemployment Benefits
• TPS Extensions for El Salvador Honduras Nepal and Nicaragua
• Supreme Court Strikes Down President Biden’s Plan to Erase Student Loan Debt
• Student Loan Repayments Set to Resume After 3-Year Pause
• MassHealth Rolls Grew During First Redetermination Month
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Updated Housing Code Checklist
• DTA Announces SNAP-Restaurant Meal Program - Going Live in Fall
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Continuous Coverage for Formerly Incarcerated People and People Experiencing Homelessness
• New MassHealth MyServices Portal
• The Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Part B Insulin Price Takes Effect July
• Expansion of Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy
• Medicare Reminder: SNF Coverage Basics
• Medicare Reminder: How Medicaid Works with Medicare
• Policy & Social Issues
  • The Home Health Aide Crisis
  • Many Older Adults Face Unpaid Medical Bills Despite Insurance Coverage
  • Migrants in Boston’s Fast-Track Immigration Court are More Likely to be Ordered Deported
  • Study - Stop Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting for Infants Exposed to Addiction Medications
  • Minimizing the Risk of Scams for People Living with Dementia
  • Human Trafficking Victims Getting Help with Visas
  • With No State Oversight Mass Medical School Morgues are Vulnerable to Black Market for Bodies
  • Judges Rebuke Social Security for Errors as Disability Denials Stack Up

 

May 2023

• Cambridge Will Start Giving Low-Income Families $500 Cash Monthly - Apply By July 31
• DHCD Now Known as the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC)
• Metro Housing Boston Introduces Housing Clinics
• Replacing SNAP Benefits Lost to Skimming
• How to Check Your SNAP Balance- New Flyers
• The Homeowner Assistance Fund HAF Ending on June 30th
• Tips to Avoid Losing Money or Getting Scammed by Competitive Energy Suppliers
• Biden Administration Warns Consumers to Avoid Medical Credit Cards
• DHS Announces Upcoming Re-parole Process for Afghan Nationals
• New DDS Ombudsperson
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • HousingMatch.org- A Non-Profit Roommate Listing Service
  • Open Door Provides Medically Tailored Groceries in Gloucester and Ipswich
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth COVID Coverage After the End of the PHE
  • MassHealth Pharmacy Copay Changes Effective May 1
  • Medicare to Cover Seat Elevation Technology for Power Wheelchairs
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Hospitals and Aid Groups Press State for Improved Front Door to Emergency Family Shelter
  • State Moves to Limit Local Government Limits on Family Shelter
  • Vermont Becomes First State to Waive Residency Requirement for Medical Aid in Dying
  • US Mexico Border Restrictions End but New Restrictive Asylum Rules Begin
  • Look Behind the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Curtain

 

April 2023

• Supreme Court Preserves Access to Abortion Pill for Now
• MA SNAP Cliff Off-Ramp Payments
• SNAP Application Interviews Now Required Again for all Applicants
• Biden Administration to Widen Medicaid and ACA Health Coverage to Dreamers
• Biden Administration Unveils Plan to Ensure Free COVID Vaccines
• Free COVID Testing Will Fade with US Health Emergency in May
• Biden Signs Executive Order to Support Care Workers
• Repeal of MA Pandemic Electronic Notarization and Future Enactment of Remote Online Notarization
• For Injured Workers in Mass Care Isn’t Easy to Come By
• SSI Court Settlement Extends Time Limit to Continue Receiving Benefits While Pending Appeal
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • BlueHub SUN Program - Non-Profit Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention
  • Doctor Led Agency Helps Navigate the Chaotic Health Care System
  • Virtual Autism Diagnostic Evaluations for Kids
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Ending Pandemic Eligibility Policies
  • MassHealth Redeterminations - How to Update Address and Important Guidance
  • Medicare Waiver of the 3 Midnight Rule is Ending - Patients May Again be at Risk for SNF Costs
  • Important Medicare Advantage and Part D Rules Changes
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Mass House Leaders to Propose Making Eviction Protection Measure Permanent
  • Competitive Electricity Suppliers’ Underhanded Tactics Cited
  • MAPLE - a Digital Push for More Legislative Participation
  • Strained by Housing Crisis, MA Spending Millions Each Month on Family Shelter
  • Unpaid Utility Bills Mount After Winter Energy Price Spike
  • One Man’s Story Illustrates Challenges of Regaining Housing
  • Are Nursing Homes Paid Enough? It Can Be Hard to Tell
  • Health Groups Sound the Alarm Over Foreign Nurse Visa Freeze

 

March 2023

• State Braces for MassHealth Dislocation
• Eviction Prevention Policy Set to Expire March 31
• State to Mitigate SNAP Emergency Allotments Cliff
• Erroneous Expungement Notices Sent to Some SNAP Households
• Boston Expands Tuition-Free Community College Program to All Residents
• Healey Warns Pharmacies to Keep Abortion Meds Stocked
• How to Expunge Decriminalized Marijuana Offenses
• Biden Extends Stay for Thousands of Ukrainians
• MA Closing Temporary Family Shelter in Devens
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Free Help with Tax Preparation
• Dollar For - Helps Advocate for Hospital Debt Forgiveness
• Health Care Coverage
  • Connector Special Enrollment Periods Extended
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Proposed Settlement Could Bring Big Changes to Mass Family Shelter System
  • Judge Strikes Down Free HIV drugs Other Preventive Services Under ACA
  • Do You Really Need that Medical Escort?
  • Report- State Spends $90M on Unaffordable Housing

 

February 2023

• The Winter Heat-Related Utility Shut-Off Moratorium Has Been Extended to April 1
• New MLRI Flyer on the Upcoming SNAP Benefits Cliff
• Instacart Expands Services to SNAP Recipients
• With Family Shelter System at Capacity, State Turns to Concord Hotel for Emergency Use
• Guardians for Unbefriended Elders
• Biden Administration Unveils Broad Asylum Restrictions at Mexico Border
• MA High School Equivalency Exams Are Now Free
• The New Pooled Trust Transfer Penalty - Maybe Not So Fast
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New Behavioral Health Centers to Include Recovery Coaches and Community Health Workers to Address Resource Support & New Flowchart
  • Heaps of Hope - Financial Support for Women with Cancer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
• Health Care Coverage
  • The Federal Public Health Emergency Will End in May - What Health Care Coverage Provisions May Remain
  • Court Requires States to Reinstate Full Medicaid Benefits to Dual Eligibles Downgraded to Medicare Savings Programs During Health Emergency
  • SJC Decides MassHealth is Rightful Beneficiary of Spousal Annuities
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Low-Income Renters Can Wait Years for Federal Vouchers and Still Not Find a Home
  • Haitian Migrants with TPS Stuck in Work Authorization Limbo
  • Undocumented Immigrants Fall Through the Cracks with Child Lead Poisoning
  • Opinion - Remove the Hurdles to Assisted Living
  • Pair of Opinion Pieces about the Realities of the MA Real Lives Law for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilitie

 

January 2023

• Behavioral Health Road Map Initiatives Effective Jan 2023 - Helpline FAQs
• SNAP Emergency Allotments to End After February
• DTA Phone Prompts Roadmap
• Federal Public Health Emergency Renewed One Last time - But Some Protections Ending Sooner
• COVID-19 Emergencies to End on May 11 Biden Says
• Somerville to Launch a Consolidated Housing Waitlist- Sign Up for Alerts
• Free Emergency Mental Health Care for Veterans at Any Hospital After VA Rule Change
• Biden Restricting Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians at Border
• A New Program Lets Private Citizens Sponsor Refugees
• ABLE Accounts Age Limit Extended but Pooled Disability Trusts Limited
• DHS Issues New Labor Protections for Immigrant Workers
• Most Domestic Workers in Massachusetts Don’t Know There's a Law Protecting Them
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Citizens’ Energy Joe-4-Sun Program Offers Solar Credits to Low-Income Renters
  • Massachusetts Abortion Hotline Now Offers Free Legal Advice
  • YOU Boston Works to Help Young People with Work Readiness
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Prepares for End of Continuous Coverage- Launches Redetermination Campaign
  • MassHealth Extends Infant Formula Flexibilities
  • Family Glitch Fixed - Affordability of Employer Sponsored Insurance for Eligibility for ACA Coverage Now Considers the Cost for Entire Family
  • MassHealth to Cover Doula Services in Late 2023
  • Medicare Coverage of Immunosuppressants
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Healey Seeks $282 Million for Shelter, Food Aid Programs
  • Opinion: Medicaid Should Cover the Incarcerated
  • Stop the Beef Hotline is Fueling Effort to Stem Bloodshed in the City
  • Sickle Cell Cure Brings Mix of Anxiety and Hope
  • Despite Federal Rules, HIV Prevention Drug Still Comes with Costs
  • Legal Aid Funding on Rise But Chief Justice Says Mass Needs More

2022 Newsletters

December 2022

• MA Behavioral Health Help Line and 25 Behavioral Health Centers With 24-Hour Crisis Intervention Set to Open in January
• NH Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Launching January 1
• New MATCH Program - MassHealth Housing Assistance for Those Leaving Hospital, Shelter, SNF, Youth Aging Out of the System, Correctional Facilities and More
• New RAFT Application Portal Goes Live - Training and Reference Guides Available
• Fuel Assistance Benefits Increase
• US to Expand and Extend TPS for Haitian Nationals
• Reminder- Revised Public Charge Rules Effective December 23 2022
• USCIS Automatically Extends Green Card Validity for Naturalization Applicants
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • The Phoenix Food Hub Serves People of All Ages in and Around the Lynn
  • One Percent for America - Offers 1% Interest Loans to Pay Immigration and Citizenship Fees
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth CommonHealth Elimination of One-Time Deductible Work Requirement and Coming Soon- a CommonHealth Retirement Benefit
  • New Medicare Part B Coverage Start Dates Coming in 2023
  • Medicare Savings Program Expansion in 2023 – Help Paying Medicare Premiums
  • Medicare vs. Affordable Care Act Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • In Record Numbers Families Without Shelter are Turning to Massachusetts Emergency Departments
  • Advocates Question Conditions at Shelter for Migrants and Families Experiencing Homelessness
  • Racist Doctors and Organ Thieves - Why So Many Black People Distrust the Health Care System
  • How Medicare Advantage Plans Dodged Auditors and Overcharged Taxpayers by Millions
  • Lawmakers Decry Massive Backlog in Social Security Disability Claims
  • New Report Exposes Dramatic Shortfall of Visas for Victims of Trafficking

 

November 2022

• Fuel Assistance and Winter Shut-Off Protections Tips
• Mass Launching Emergency Shelter and Intake Center for Immigrants; Influx Impacts Budget and Shelter Capacity
• MA PFML Maximum Benefit Increase
• U.S. COVID Public Health Emergency to Stay in Place
• One-Time MA Tax Rebates Distribution
• SSI Beneficiaries Must Begin Taking Social Security Retirement at Age 62
• MA DPH Offers $75 Gift Cards for COVID Shots in Vaccine Equity Initiative
• Student Loan-Payment Freeze Extended as Courts Weigh Debt Relief
• Additional Detail on State Loan Forgiveness Programs- Applications Open in December
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Link-Kid Aims to Streamline Trauma Mental Health Referrals for Kids
  • Medicaid ACO Flexible Services - Fresh Connect Changes
• Health Care Coverage
  • Baker Signs Prescription Step-Therapy Overhaul
  • Administration Broadens Medicare Coverage of Medically Necessary Dental Care
  • New Medicare Insulin Copay Limit - NOT Reflected in the Medicare Plan Finder Poses Challenge to Comparing Plans
  • Biden Admin Implements Provisions to Simplify Medicare Enrollment
  • What’s New for ACA Coverage
  • How Do VA Benefits Work with Medicare?
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Family Shelter Hotline Leaves Some Families Desperate
  • People With Long Covid Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits
  • Section 8 Tweak is Reshaping Where People Live
  • MA Nursing Home Job Vacancies at Historic Highs

 

October 2022

• Election Day is Nov 8 - Helping Inpatients Vote
• Fuel Assistance Programs are Open
• Child Tax Credit Still Available with Simple form Through Nov 15
• SSI and Social Security Language Access Issue Brief
• What to Know Now that Hearing Aids are Available Over the Counter
• SNAP and College Students - New Outreach Flyers
• All DTA Offices Should Now Have Video Remote Interpreter - ASL - Access
• US Removes Trump-Era Barriers to Citizenship-Test Waivers for Disabled Immigrants
• US Creates a Legal Pathway for Venezuelan Migrants, but Most Won't Qualify
• Student Loan Relief Application
• New State Loan Repayment Plan for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselors
• US Extends Public Health Emergency Another 90 Days
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • De Novo - Free or Low-Cost Counseling and Torture Treatment Program
  • Be Inspired Together Offers Therapy Scholarships
  • Mental Health Connections for MGB Employees and Their Families
• Health Care Coverage
  •  Medicare Reminder- Filling Gaps in Part D Drug Coverage
  • New Rule Addresses Obamacare Family Glitch
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Lawsuit says Mass. Residents Unnecessarily Institutionalized in Nursing Homes Should Have Options for Independent Living
  • Facts About the Greater Boston Housing Crisis
  • Wave of Evictions Feared
  • Editorial- Home Health Care Workforce Needs Ongoing Pay Boost
• Of Clinical Interest
  • When it Comes to Addiction Word Choices are Part of the Problem
  • Some Doctors Are Reluctant to Care for Patients with Disabilities
  • The Case for Redefining Hospital "Never Events" to Include Never Sending Debt Collectors After Low-Income Patients

September 2022

• Biden Clarifies Public Charge Rules
• SNAP for College Students - Expanded Access
• SNAP Cost of Living Adjustment
• Wu Revitalizing Office of Returning Citizens- Services for Formerly Incarcerated People
• Operator of Braintree, Plymouth Nursing Facilities Turned Away Patients with SUDs
• Court Ruling Supports Marijuana Expungement
• Calculate How Much Your Mass Tax Refund Check Will Be
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Student Loan Debt Cancellation Changes and Fact Sheet
  • Team Impact Matches Pedi Patients with College Sports Teams
  • New College Student Health Insurance Options Flyer
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicaid Waiver Makes Money Available for Housing, Nutrition
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Congressional Delegation Asks for Federal Help After $1 Million in SNAP Benefits Stolen from Low-Income Families

 

August 2022

• MassHealth and SNAP Common App and Coming for All State Benefits
• EBT PIN Removal to Protect Benefits from Skimming - Members will Need to Re-PIN to Access Benefits
• Coming Soon a 10% Increase to Cash Assistance Grants
• RAFT Changes
• September TAFDC Clothing Allowance – and Benefit Increase
• MA Homeowner Assistance Fund Institutes New Benefit Cap
• Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Expected to Be Extended
• Biden Announces Student Loan Forgiveness
• New 2022 DACA Rule
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • MGfC Pediatric Bereavement Program
  • New MA Hate Crimes and Threat Report Hotline
  • A New Home for Recently Incarcerated Transgender People
• Health Care Coverage
  • Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Prescription Drug Reforms
  • State to Expand Taxpayer-Subsidized Health Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • To Call or Not to Call 988
  • New MA Mental Health ABC Act - Addressing Barriers to Care Law
  • Hearing Aids Soon Available without Prescription
  • Baker Signs Bill Protecting Abortion Access
  • Postponement of Out-of-Network Patient Protections in Massachusetts Act
  • Mass. Boosts Anti-Discrimination Funding to Help Clear Complaint Backlog

 

July 2022

• Cash Assistance and SNAP Benefits May be Stolen with No Notice or Recourse - Encourage Members to Regularly re-PIN their EBT Cards
• State Announces Major Component of Behavioral Roadmap - 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (Coming January 2023)
• Public Health Emergency Extended Through October - Benefits Flexibilities Extended
• Free School Meals are Back for Next Year
• Overwhelming Diaper Demand Leaves Local Organizations and Families Struggling
• Free COVID-19 Tests for People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision
• Renting an Apartment in the Boston Area - Here’s What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself
• Understanding CMSs New Nursing Facility Guidance
• MA Loan Forgiveness Extended to LCSWs - Outpatient Only
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Mountainside Now Offering Telehealth SUDs Services in Massachusetts
  • Providers Offering High Speed Internet for Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP) Members
  • The Boston Alliance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth (BAGLY) - Host Home Program
  • HEARTH- Working to End Elder Homelessness
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Extends Postpartum Health Coverage to 12-Months
  • CMS Proposes Medicare Dental Coverage Expansion to Pre-Transplant
  • Personal Emergency Response Systems for MassHealth Members Using Their Hospice Benefit
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Additional Preschool Funding in Boston
  • Reproductive Healthcare Rights Post-Dobbs
    • MA AG Warns of ‘Deceptive’, ‘Coercive’ Crisis Pregnancy Centers
    • Mass. Insurers Will Cover Abortion Travel Costs for Members
    • MGB Roe v. Wade FAQs and Resources
    • Biden Signs Executive Order Protecting Reproductive Health Services
    • Biden Admin Will Protect Right Under Federal Law to Abortion in Medical Emergencies
    • HHS Warns Pharmacies Can't Deny Medication that Terminates Pregnancy
    • Biden Officials Remind Insurers They Must Cover Birth Control for Free
    • Commentary - How the Fall of Roe Could Change Abortion Care in Mass
  • Somerville Planning State’s First Supervised Consumption Site
  • America was in an Early-Death Crisis Long Before COVID
  • 41% of Massachusetts Families Struggle to Afford Health Care
  • 1 in 5 Americans Report Still Receiving Surprise Medical Bills After Federal Ban
  • Mass. Politicians Call for End to Long Waits at Anti-Discrimination Agency (MCAD)
  • MA Bans Discrimination Based on Natural Hairstyles
  • New MA VOTES Law Includes No-Excuse Vote by Mail

 

June 2022

• MA Legislature Considering Additional Protections for Abortion Providers and Additional Information and Resources
• MassHealth Infant Formula Flexibilities
• 988 - New National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to Launch July 16
• DTA to Allow SNAP Medical Expense Self-Declaration within Standard Medical Deduction Range
• Certain SNAP Families Can Now Get 12 Months of Free Child Care!
• New SNAP Online Ordering Stores - Wegmans & McKinnon’s
• SNAP Families Now Categorically Eligible for Head Start
• Coming Soon- OK to Use SNAP at Participating Restaurants and Food Trucks
• A New - and Faster - Way to Request a Social Security Card
• My Social Security - What You Can Do with Your Online Account
• Biden Boosts LGBTQI Protections, Bans Conversion Therapy
• Undocumented Immigrants Can Get Mass. Drivers’ Licenses in July 2023
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Cambridge Health Alliance Opens Inpatient Children's Psychiatry Center in Somerville
  • Host Homes - Ending LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in Massachusetts
  • New Eyes Website - Eyeglass Assistance
  • Welcome Home - Free Furniture and Home Goods Expands in West Newton
  • MGH Digital Access Coordinator Program Launches
  • New MGB Employee Resource Group Platform
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness Assistance Through Tuition.io for MGB Employees
• Policy & Social Issues
• As Mental Health Crisis Worsens Record-Setting Investment Languishes
  • Hotel-Based Homeless Shelters Changed Lives in Pandemic - Some Want Them to be a Model Moving Forward
  • Significant Portions of City Neighborhoods in Mass. Lack Internet Access
  • Advocates Seek to Ease Hunger Among College Students
  • Public Charge Rule Coming This Summer and New USCIS Web Resources
  • Opinion - “Copay Accumulator Adjusters”- This Latest Insurer Surprise is Galling
  • Children of Color and Low-Income Kids Still Receive Unsafe Mercury-Based Dental Fillings

 

May 2022

• Low to Moderate Income MA Workers to get Second $500 Check
• Child Tax Credit - It's Not Too Late
• State to Refund Jobless Claim Overpayments
• Few Eligible Families Have Sought Federal Payment of COVID Funeral Expenses
• WIC and the Formula Shortage - Massachusetts WIC Information
• Unused SNAP and P-EBT Now Only Stay on Card 274 Days
• USDA Improves Equitable SNAP Access for LGBTQIA+
• P-EBT Food Dollars Issued May 25th for Eligible School-Aged Kids
• DTA to issue P-EBT to Kids Under 6 on SNAP Starting June 25th
• Ukrainian Evacuees Should Soon be Benefits Eligible
• Public Health Emergency Expected to Be Extended
• You Can Now Get Free Rapid COVID Tests at a Pharmacy by Showing Your Insurance Card
• Government Offers Third Round of Free Rapid Tests
• Free N95 Masks
• New Program to Help Patients Determine Eligibility for Paxlovid
• Biden Announces Expansion of High-Speed Internet for Low-Income Households
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • AllWays Health Partners introduces Lyra - A New Mental Health Benefit for MGB Employees in Select and Plus Health Plans
  • A Place for Mom - Free Senior Living Advisors
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Proposes New Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Opinion- Right to Counsel Needed for Housing Issues
  • Mass. Latino Communities are Struggling with Employment, Educational Opportunities
  • Mass. is Poised to Spend Millions on Forced Addiction Treatment Reigniting Debate Over System
  • Across Massachusetts, Shrouded Corporations are Scooping Up Single-Family Homes and Contributing to the Housing Crisis
  • Legislators Call for Investigation into Boston Asylum Office Over Low Rate of Approvals

 

April 2022

• Boston Rental Relief Changes
• Somerville Extends Eviction Moratorium - the Last One Standing Ends June 30
• New Higher LIHEAP Income Levels Announced
• LIHEAP Agencies Should Accept SSN Without Need for Original and Alternative Options
• Low Income Household Water Assistance Program
• Social Security Administration Resumes In-Person Services
• New- Start an SSI Application Online to Protect the Filing Date
• New MassHealth Dental Transportation, and Vision Webpages for Members
• Ukrainian Evacuees Being Denied SNAP Benefits
• SNAP Non-Countable Income Reminder- Senior Community Service Employment Program and Work Study
• Wegmans Has Joined SNAP Online Ordering in MA
• Baker Administration Offers Unemployment Overpayment Relief
• Federal Public Health Emergency Declaration Extended Until Mid July
• Funding for Free COVID Tests and Treatments Dries Up But Services Should Still be Available
• Supreme Court Upholds Puerto Rican’s Exclusion from SSI
• Retroactive Help for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Coming
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Abortion Rights Advocates Create Guide to Clinics That Do and Do Not Offer Abortions
  • Cambridge to Give Direct Payments to Low-Income Residents for 18 Months
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Now Covers Free Home Covid Test Kits
  • Medicare Advantage Denying or Delaying Medically Necessary Care
  • Healthcare Coverage- Immigration Verifications and Valid Non-Immigrant Visas
  • New ConnectorCare Plan Auto Assign Check-Box and Special Enrollment Period
  • PT-1 Chair Car and Door to Door Transport FAQs
  • Due to Supply Chain Concerns MassHealth Now Covering Pediatric Enteral Special Formula and Thickening Agents Dispensed at Pharmacies
• Policy & Social Issues
  • ACA to Expand to More Families
  • Poverty Affects Children’s Brains but Study Finds Public Policy Can Reduce Impact
  • Medical Discrimination Brochure – Mental Health “Overshadowing”
  • MBTA Resolves Disability Discrimination Case Involving The Ride
  • Mass. Jails Will Be Required to Provide Opioid Treatment
  • Opinion: Nursing Homes Need Support - and More Accountability
  • Pandemic’s Lesson for Many Older Folks - Stay in Your Home as Long as You Can

 

March 2022

• Pandemic Housing Programs Including Emergency Rental Assistance Program Ending
• State’s Emergency COVID Paid Sick Time Program Ends
• COVID Essential Pay Program: Some 500,000 Mass. Workers Should Expect to Receive $500
• Afghan Evacuees Can Apply for Temporary Protected Status
• Temporary Protected Status Designation for Ukraine Immigrants
• Eversource and National Grid Share Post-COVID Payment Plan Structures
• New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund - Now Accepting Applications
• You Can Order Free COVID Tests from the Government Again
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Fisher House - Free Lodging for Military Families During Hospitalization
  • Team Aid Works to Help the Families of People Living or Traveling Abroad with Funeral Costs
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Struggling with Autism Services
  • My Ombudsman Now Serves All MassHealth Members
  • MassHealth New Door-to-Door Service for PT-1 and New Chair Car Policies
  • MassHealth to Offer More Leeway in Verifying Income
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Massachusetts Families Facing Benefits Cliff as Free School Lunch Programs End
  • Facing breakdowns and Slow Repairs, Mass. Wheelchair Users Call for Stronger State Law
  • Boston Office Has Second Lowest Asylum Grant Rate in the Country

 

February 2022

• State Sending $500 Payments to Half a Million Low-Income Workers
• State Seeks OK to Forgive Unemployment Overpayments
• The Massachusetts Homeowner Assistance Fund (Mass HAF) Outreach Materials Now Available
• SNAP EBT Online Shopping Extends to Daily Table
• Flex Services Fresh Connect Program Reminders
• Upcoming Changes to MassHealth Nonemergency Wheelchair Van Transport
• Immigration Enforcement- “Protected Areas” Policy Replaces “Sensitive Locations” Policy
• New Affordable Connectivity Program Fact Sheet
• DTA Clarifies Senior and Veteran Tax Work Off Programs Should Not be Counted as Income
• Tax Season- What to Know if You Get Social Security or Supplemental Security Income
• Child Tax Credit Payments Temporarily Shielded from Student Loan Debt Seizure
• Massachusetts State House Reopens to The Public
• Missing Personal Care Attendant Payments Strain an Already Taxed Workforce
• Can I Name a Guardian for My Child in my Will Over the Objections of the Father?
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Made Up to Code Program Helps Tenants Document Housing Conditions and Advocate with Landlords
  • REBUILD Offers Free Therapy for BIPOC Formerly Incarcerated People or Injustice Involved People
  • Daily Table Market Set to Open in Mattapan Station this Summer
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Beneficiaries Win Right to Appeal “Observation Status” Reclassifications
  • Public May be Unaware that Private Insurance Must Cover Rapid COVID Tests
  • Medicare Will Cover At-Home COVID Tests at No Cost By Early Spring
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Millions Likely to Lose Medicaid with End of Public Health Emergency
  • Report- Workforce Crisis is Behind Long Mental Health Waits
  • Rising SUDs Death Toll and Inaccessible Treatment Programs
  • Need for Medicare Coverage for Medically Necessary Oral Care
  • New Bill Would End Federal Requirement that States Recoup Medicaid Costs from Families
  • Efforts to End Marriage Penalty for People with Disabilities

 

January 2022

• Families Must File Taxes to Get Remaining Half of Child Care Tax Credit
• Older and Childless Workers Eligible for Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit
• Mass Seeks to Claw Back Jobless Benefits
• Social Security COLA Impact on SNAP
• BJs Joins Massachusetts’ SNAP Online Purchasing Program
• DTA Reinstates Learnfare for TAFDC
• Updated Contacts for DTA Accommodations - Client Assistance Coordinators
• Check for Local DTA Office Closings on Mass.gov
• Tips On Ways to Connect with DTA to Help Your Clients
• Biden Administration Extends Public Health Emergency Declaration for 90 Days
• Benefits for Cuban-Haitian Entrants - Guidance from US HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement
• Reminder- Reduced MBTA Fares Available But Advocates Push for More
• Navient Will Repay Mass. Student Borrowers $43.2m
• MassHealth Improves Driver Safety Requirements
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Community Servings Offering Medically Tailored Meals and COVID Response Meals
  • FabiYana’s Urgent Foods - Greater Boston Delivery
  • Public Can Borrow WIFI Hotspots from Libraries
  • United Healthcare Offers Medical Transportation
  • How to Get Your 4 Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests
  • Bright Spot Network- Helping Families Through Cancer
  • Below the Belt - Women’s Cancer Outreach on the Cape
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Now Covers Acupuncture
  • Health Connector Enrollment Closed and Special Enrollment Period Rules
  • Private Insurance Must Cover Eight At-Home COVID Tests Per Month
  • New Surprise Billing Protections
  • 2022 Medicare Costs
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Demand for Welfare Spikes as Jobless Benefits End
  • Massachusetts to Host 2,000 Afghans, Double Expected Amount
  • New Hampshire Voluntary Paid Medical Leave to Start January 2023

 

2021 Newsletters

 

December 2021

• ERAP and RAFT Changes for 2022
• PFML Maximum Benefits Increase for 2022
• The New Homeowner Assistance Fund Explained
• SSA is Reopening SSI Claims Denied Due to Receipt of COVID Disaster Assistance; Claimants May Need to Contact SSA
• Social Security Survivors Benefits Resources
• Biden Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze Through May
• Fuel Assistance Benefits Increase
• Executive Order Commits Federal Agencies to Improving Customer Service
• As 3G Dies Medical, Security and Car Safety Devices Could Also Shut Down
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Somerville-Cambridge Little Necessities Program
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicaid 2022 Spousal Impoverishment and Home Equity Figures Released
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Mental Health Beds Cut Amid Staffing Shortages

 

November 2021

• New Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) - RAFT and ERMA Will No Longer Offer Mortgage Assistance
• Court Strikes Down Boston’s Eviction Moratorium
• MassHealth PCA Changes - New Single Fiscal Intermediary
• Massachusetts Distributes 80 Percent of Money for Foster Kids - Seeks Extension for Those Who’ve Aged Out
• Mass to Include Check-Box on Tax Forms to Apply for Health Insurance
• Dispelling Public Charge Myths
• SNAP Members Can Now Pick UP EBT Cards at DTA Offices
• SSA Temporarily Extends Window to Request Reconsideration and Retain Full Benefits
• Time to Retire 3G Phones - Devices Will Lose Ability to Contact 911, Personal Emergency Response Systems May Not Work and More
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • DTA Offers Transportation in Worcester
  • Seafarers Emotional Support Services
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Family Assistance Expansion Updates
  • MassHealth Member Resources for Gender-Affirming Care
  • CMS Announces 2022 Medicare Cost-Sharing Amounts
  • Veterans with VA Health Benefits Should Consider Medicare When They Become Eligible
• Policy & Social Issues
  • You Feel Trapped’ One Unhoused Man Shares Why Shelters Don’t Always Feel Safe
  • Psychiatric Boarding- the Current Behavioral Health Crisis
  • Baker Seeks Clarification on Haitian Arrivals
  • Supreme Judicial Court to Hear Case on Expungement of Old Cannabis Charges
  • Taxpayers Paying Soaring Medicare Advantages Costs
  • Understanding and Responding to Coerced Debt
  • Opinion: Family Caregiver Stress and Some Solutions

 

October 2021

• TAFDC and EAEDC Asset Limits Eliminated
• Child Tax Credit- New November 15 Deadline and New Website
• Haitians Who Qualify as “Cuban/Haitian Immigrants” May be Eligible for Benefits
• Afghan Immigrant Evacuees’ Access to Benefits and Health Coverage
• New DHS Policy Protects Patients from Immigration Enforcement Actions
• New Publications from the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML)
• Replacement SNAP for Those Who Lost Power Due to the Nor'easter
• MA Dept of Higher Education Notifies 84K MA College Students of Potential SNAP Eligibility
• Boston Creates Fund to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure
• New School Meals Law Requires Community Eligibility Application and Prohibits Meal Shaming
• Social Security Administration Announces 2022 Cost of Living Adjustment
• After the Hospital- A Guide to Post-Acute Care
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Overhaul
• Mass. General Hospital Says 2 to 3 of its Nurses Face Assaults Every Day
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Jewish Family & Children's Services (JF&CS) is Now Offering 4 Weekly Bereavement Groups
  • Elders Living at Home Program
  • Smart from the Start School Readiness Program
  • Inclusive Sensory Gym in Wellesley
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Family Assistance Will Expand SNF and Community-Based Services Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • It’s Becoming Impossible to Find a Therapist
  • State Weighs Added Benefits for Families in 'Deep Poverty'
  • Mass General Brigham Invests $50m in Community Partners
  • Opinion: RMV Process for Checking Immigration Status is Flawed

 

September 2021

• City of Boston and Other Local Eviction Moratoria (Somerville, Cambridge, Malden)
• All RAFT, ERAP, ERMA Applications Must Now Be Submitted Through Centralized Portal
• Fuel Assistance Applications Accepted Starting October 1 This Year
• Baker Signs COVID Paid Leave Program Extension
• Deadline for Child Tax Credit for this Calendar Year is October 15
• SSI and Pandemic Benefits - New Rules Exempt Benefits, But May Require Case-by-Case Advocacy
• COVID Isolation & Recovery Site Reopens and then Relocates - Now in Everett
• Helping Refugees from Afghanistan Resettling in Massachusetts- Benefits Eligibility
• Veterans Discharged Under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ May be Eligible for Full VA Benefits
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Free Workshop to Help Families Complete Rent or Mortgage Assistance Central Application
• Pro Bono PT, OT, Speech Therapy Clinics
• Families Overcharged for Subsidized Child Care May be Able to Reapply, Child Care for Homeless Families and Child Care Subsidies Flyers
• CMS Translates Medicare & You Handbook into Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean
• New Social Security Website for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood
• MGH Cancer Center PACT Website is Now Available in Spanish
• 21 Mass Registry Offices Reopen
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Expands Covered Care for Transgender and Non-Binary Residents
• Policy & Social Issues
• Waivers Sought for Jobless Workers Who Were 'Overpaid' Benefits
• Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes
• Opinion: Medicaid’s Unfair Choice- Wait Months for In-Home Assistance or Get Nursing Facility Coverage Today
• Opinion: Listen to What Food Insecure People Say They Need: Proximity & Choice
• Opportunities for Patients to Advocate for Service Improvements - PT-1, DME and SNF

 

August 2021

• Supreme Court Ends Biden’s Eviction Moratorium
• Unemployment Cliff Approaching
• Pandemic Relief Money for 14-26 Year-Olds Ever Involved with Foster Care - Sept Deadline for 22+
• MA Attorney General Child Tax Credit Flyers Available in 4 Languages
• LIHEAP Recipients to Receive Significant Supplement Payments
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program Policy Updates and Clarifications
• TAFDC and EAEDC Increases and Bonuses
• TAFDC Income Eligibility Increases for September Only Due to Clothing Allowance
• Summer P-EBT for Families Who Apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meals by Sept 8
• SNAP Benefits to Increase by More Than 25 Percent in October
• Know Your Rights - Renting an Apartment in Greater Boston
• Social Security Adds 12 New Compassionate Allowances Conditions
• Education Department Will Erase Loans for Borrowers with Disabilities
• Nursing Facilities Settle After Allegations of Refusing Admissions to those Receiving Medication Assisted Treatment
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Metro Housing Boston- Specialized Intensive Programs and Services (SIPS) Program
  • Housing Navigator Website Launches
  • La Colaborativa Offering Twice Weekly Housing Rights Sessions
  • MGH Care Coordination Synergy Page
  • One Family Inc. Offers Two Programs to Help Parents Achieve Their Career Goals
  • Equity-Focused Carshare Pilot Expands Access to Electric Vehicles - Good2Go
  • New HARBOR Location, Offering Prostituted People Shelter and ‘Access to Joy’
• Health Care Coverage
  • Updated Option to Report Unemployment Income for Premium-Free ConnectorCare
  • Residents of Micronesia Marshall Islands and Palau May Get Full MassHealth Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Baker Housing Plan
  • Report- State Rejects 90% of Rental Assistance Applications
  • Legislature to Create Housing and Economic Development Ombuds, EA and HomeBASE Tracking and First Steps Towards Possibly Eliminating TAFDC and EAEDC Asset Tests
  • Advocates Call for 50% Self-Employment Standard Business Expense for SNAP Eligibility
  • Medicare Advantage Disenrollment in Final Year of Life Continues Troubling Pattern
  • Passage of Massachusetts Bill Rectifies Loophole That Left 6300 Rape Kits Untested
  • Opinion: PrEP Must be Available Behind Bars

 

July 2021

• Many Eligible Kids May Not Get Tax Credit – Help Spread the Word
• TAFDC and EAEDC Benefits Increase Signed into Law – Benefits Still Below Deep Poverty Level
• Explainer- Will Massachusetts Do Enough to Limit Evictions?
• SHERA Program Launches – Landlords Can Complete Bulk Assistance Applications
• New MA Utility Help Fact Sheet and Advocate Consultation
• Clarification- DTA Homeless Liaison Helps with DTA Programs; EA Shelter is NOT a DTA Program
• New and Updated Paid Family and Medical Leave Handouts
• SNAP Online Purchasing Now Available from Hannaford and Stop & Shop
• Boston City Hall Reopens
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Eviction Technology Access Sites
  • New Emergency Broadband Benefit Website Includes Spanish Outreach Materials
  • New MA Student Loan Ombudsman
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Memo Emphasizes End of 2019 Public Charge Rules and States’ Responsibility to Protect Applicant and Family Information
  • Some MassHealth COVID Flexibilities Sunsetting
  • Urgent Coverage Alert for Dually Eligible MassHealth Members
  • Overview of Medicaid Coverage for Immigrants Explains Laws Across States
  • MassHealth Cost Sharing Confusion - Improved Member Communications Forthcoming
  • Medicare Problem-Solving Contacts
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Surprise Medical Billing- Interim Final Rule
  • DACA Ruled Unlawful - No New DACA Applications
  • More on How RIDE Flex Differs from the Previous On-Demand Paratransit Pilot
  • Cambridge Library Hires Social Worker
  • Complaint Against DCF for Not Providing Interpreters
  • High Court Ruling Gives Immigrants Facing Deportation Hope

June 2021

• The RIDE Flex Replaces On-Demand Pilot- Users Must Reapply
• Eviction Moratorium Ending - Limited State Eviction Protection Extended and Resources
• Baker Signs COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Law
• MA PFML FAMILY Leave Available July 1
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Extends Limit on Arrears Payments to 18 Months
• SNAP Emergency Allotments to Continue
• New IRS Tool Makes it Easier to Access Stimulus Checks for Child Tax Credit, Single People and those Experiencing Homelessness
• Housing Vouchers Available to Transition Out of Nursing Home
• SSA Begins Offering Limited In-Person “Express Interviews” at Local Offices
• Boston Public Libraries Opened on June 14
• Free $25 Market Basket Gift Card for Getting Vaccine
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New Website Helps Massachusetts Residents Access More Federal Funding- FindYourFunds.org
  • Flex Services Accepting Referrals for Patients Enrolled in MGB ACO
  • Farmers Market Coupons Available for Somerville and Cambridge Elders
  • New Brochures - Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services’ Adult Family Care Program
• Health Care Coverage
• MA Health Connector’s New “Get an Estimate” Tool
• MassHealth Updates – Status of COVID-19 Flexibilities
• Confusion Generated by MassHealth Notices on Monthly Copayment Caps
• Policy & Social Issues
  • US Ends Strict Trump-Era Asylum Rules for Violence Victims
  • Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to Affordable Care Act
  • 5-Year Boston Area Housing Study Shows Housing Stability Tied to Health Outcomes

 

May 2021

• MA Reinstates Work-Search Requirement for Unemployment Next Month
• Administration Makes Major Improvements to Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• MA Eviction Diversion Initiative Reminders and Outreach Materials
• New Website Offers Emergency Rental Assistance Search for Other States
• Free Lyft and Uber Rides to Vaccine Sites
• State’s Homebound Vaccination Program Expands
• Families to Receive Monthly Child Tax Credits Starting July 15
• P-EBT Approved for Summer
• Baker Administration Considers Continuing Emergency SNAP Benefits Beyond June 15
• Advocacy Tip- Encourage SNAP Households Whose Regular SNAP Amount is Below Max SNAP to Claim Deductions to Maximize Benefits and Avoid Post-Pandemic SNAP Cliff
• New Flyer: Making the Most of Your WIC & SNAP Benefits
• DTA to Reopen Local Transitional Assistance Offices for Limited Services in June
• DTA Homeless Liaisons Ramping Up- Currently Available to Advocates
• DTA overview of Assistance Line changes
• Biden Administration Changes Policies to Ease Immigrant Access to Public Benefits
• Haitian Immigrants Can Apply for TPS Extension
• While Stimulus Payments Not Counted as Resources for SSI for 12 Months Deadline Approaching for the First Payment
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • The John F. Kennedy Family Service Center Provides Array of Services for Charlestown Families
  • First-in-the-Nation Hotline Seeks to Help Abusers
  • Price Chopper Now Accepting SNAP Online Ordering
  • The Parent Support Program at The Home for Little Wanderers
  • Caregiver Abuse Registry on Track for July Launch
• Health Care Coverage
  • New Enhanced Benefits for Unemployment Income Recipients on Health Connector Plans
  • MassHealth Resumes Annual Renewals But Protections Still in Place
  • MassHealth Estate Recovery Program Updates
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Massachusetts Lawmakers Scramble to Make Pandemic Protections Permanent as State of Emergency End Nears
  • Biden Administration Prohibits Health Care Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
  • Hundreds of Immigrants Who Need Long-Term Care Get Stuck in Hospitals Because Of MassHealth Limits
  • MA Behind in Nursing Home Inspections

 

April 2021

• PT-1 Transportation Broker Changes Coming July 1
• COVID-19 Isolation and Recovery Sites New Intake Hours
• Reminder- Vaccine Seekers Should Not be Turned Away for Lack of ID, SSN or Insurance
• SNAP Emergency Allotments for Lowest Income SNAP Household
• New SNAP Flyer for Gig Workers Including Rideshare and Delivery Drivers
• USDA Extends Universal Free Lunch Through Next School Year
• P-EBT Updates- School Homeless Liaisons and MLRI Flier on Kids Returning to School
• How to Donate P-EBT
• Parents Who Gave Birth in 2020 and Took FMLA May be Eligible for Second Leave Through PFML
• Biden Administration Limits Power of ICE to Arrest Immigrants in Courthouses
• Biden Administration Extends TPS Benefits for Venezuelan Immigrants
• Expired TPS Work Authorization Documents Extended for Certain Countries
• IRS Releases Guidance Waiving Repayment of Excess Advance Premium Tax Credits on 2020 Tax Returns
• Trump Administration Ban on Non-Immigrant Visas Has Expired
• SFE Energy Will Forgo Termination Fees on Request of Consumers Who Enrolled via Door-to-Door Sales
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Emergency Broadband Benefit Start Date
  • Subsidized Housing Emergency Rental Assistance (SHERA) Program Will Offer Assistance Directly to Landlords
• The Dementia Care Collaborative Announces its New Website
• MBTA’s Travel Instructions and Mobility Information Training Program is Now Available to Health Care Institutions
• Health Care Coverage
  • Special Health Connector Enrollment Period for Those in COBRA Once 100 percent Premium Assistance Expire
  • MassHealth Cost Sharing Changes
• Policy & Social Issues
  • More Employers than Expected Have Opted Out of MA PFML System
  • Investors Mine for Profits in Affordable Housing, Leaving Thousands of Tenants at Risk
  • DCF Has Long Failed Families with Disabilities Advocates Say
  • Issue Brief- Medicaid Estate Recovery Perpetuates Poverty and Inequality
  • What's in Biden's $400 Billion Plan to Support Families' Long-Term Health Needs
  • Unemployment Tax Relief Passed; Baker Sends State COVID Sick Leave Program Back to Legislature
  • American Rescue Plan will Help Domestic Abuse Survivors

 

March 2021

• CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium Through June
• Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and Additional Eviction Prevention Resources
• Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Also Pays Utility Arrearages
• The New Stimulus Package- The American Rescue Plan
• Massachusetts Extends Utility Shut-Off Moratorium to July 1
• LIHEAP now Accepting applications through May 28
• MA Gets Federal Approval to Expand P-EBT to Children Under 6 in SNAP Households
• The State Vaccination Plan for Homebound Individuals
• Public Charge Changes Reversed
• MA Unemployment Ordered to Stop Halting Payments and Follow the Law on Notice and Appeals
• Family and Medical Leave Recipients Face Delayed Payments and Uncertainty and New Tip
• Americans Can Soon Apply for COVID-19 Funeral Cost Reimbursement
• IRS and State Push Back Tax Filing Deadline to May 17
• EBT Card Updates - DTA Has Streamlined Procedures to Improve Benefits Access
• DTA and MBTA Partner to Allow EBT Cards Use for Fares
• Biden Administration Waives Student Loan Debt Rule for People with Disabilities
• RMV Extends Senior Hours
• Outreach Needed - Same-Sex Partners and Survivors Benefits
• SSI Should Not Count Holocaust Survivor Supplemental Hardship Fund Payments
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Daily Table - Free Delivery within 2 Miles of Stores
  • Boston Pilots Free CharlieCards/Bluebikes for Workers in Five Areas
  • ABCD Connect - Food, Rent and Emergency Expenses Program
  • Tax Prep Assistance for MGH Practice Patients
  • FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Updates But No Start Date Yet
  • Tech Goes Home Helps to Bridge the Digital Divide
  • Massachusetts Women Can Now Access Abortion Medication Through the Mail
• Health Care Coverage
  • America Rescue Plan Health Care Provisions Including Health Connector Savings
• Policy & Social Issues
  • RAFT Posts Big Gains But Still Room for Improvement

 

February 2021

• Vaccine Transportation for All MassHealth and HSN Members
• Federal Foreclosure Moratorium and Forbearance Protections Extended
• PFML - New Emerging Details
• Emergency Broadband Benefit Coming Soon
• SUD Treatment Programs Can’t Create COVID Barriers
• Disabled Kids Being Raised by Non-Parental Kin Now P-EBT Eligible
• During Pandemic Some MassHealth Covered Adult Day Health Program Services May Be Offered at Home
• Correction: New MA Healthcare Law and Travel and Lodging Expenses for Clinical Trial Participants
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Heading Home Shelter
  • MGH Workplace Well-Being Collaborative Apollo Resource Site
  • Immigrant Families’ Fund
  • McLean First Episode Resources and Groups Program  
• Health Care Coverage
  • Health Connector Open Enrollment Extended Until May 23rd
  • New FAQ on MassHealth Family Assistance Coverage of SNF and Chronic Hospital
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Unpaid Unemployment Leaves Many in Dire Straits
  • Unemployment Glitch Resolved for those with Temporary Protected Status
  • Unpaid Utility Bills Mount in Pandemics’ Wake
  • COVID Long-Haulers Push for Disability Benefits
  • Boston to Expand Rental Voucher Program
  • SUDs Treatment Shortages Still Lead to Jail for Some Men
  • CMS Rescinds Medicaid Work Requirements Guidance
  • COVID Relief Bill Would Include Housing Assistance
  • Biden Administration Takes Steps to Review Public Charge and Additional Immigration Reforms
  • Analysis - Proposed US Citizenship Act of 2021
  • DOJ Reversal- Asks Supreme Court to Uphold ACA
  • Why are Latinos so Overrepresented in the State Child Welfare System?
  • State Drags its Feet on Nursing Home Medicaid Terminations

 

January 2021

• Paid Family and Medical Leave Website and FAQs
• Federal Eviction Moratorium Extended Through March
• Some Won’t Get Second Stimulus Payment Until They File 2020 Taxes
• State to Open Vaccine Telephone Hotline
• SNAP Benefits Temporary 15% Increase
• Biden’s Immigration Orders
• RAFT - New Administrative Plan Enumerates Changes
• SSDI Waiting Period Eliminated for Those with ALS
• State’s Expungement Law Expanded
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Mobile Asymptomatic Testing Van for Charlestown, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere
  • Food Project in Roxbury and Daily Table Now in Central Square Cambridge
  • Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Offering Free Vaccine Transport
  • New Young Adult Shelter- Journey Home
  • Worcester Housing Assistance Funds
  • Physicians’ Health Service Provide Confidential Mental Health Support
• Health Care Coverage
  • Health Connector Open Enrollment Extended Through March 23, 2021
• MassHealth Expanded Coverage for Crowns, Root Canal and Additional Procedures
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Medicare Provisions Signed into Law
  • Report Finds DCF Fails to Provide Required Language Assist to LEP Families
  • SNFs Settle Complaint they Turned Away Patients with SUDs
  • Baker Signs $626 Million Economic Development Bill
  • Undocumented Avoiding Vaccine Due to Deportation Fears

 

2020 Newsletters

December 2020

• Stimulus Package Provides New Stimulus Checks, Extends Unemployment, Extends Eviction Moratorium and More
• COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project for Massachusetts Residents Open and Has Capacity - Refer Early!
• Baker, Lawmakers Tout $668m Small Biz Grant Program
• Social Security Administration Pandemic Updates
• DTA Cash Assistance - TAFDC & EAEDC During the Pandemic
• TAFDC & EAEDC Benefit Increases Among Other Budget Items
• Massachusetts is First State to Gain Federal Approval to Continue Pandemic EBT through 2021 School Year
• Aldi Joins Amazon and Walmart in Accepting SNAP for Online Ordering
• MA Attorney General Issues Guidance That Food Pantries Should NOT Require Photo ID or SSNs
• RAFT Funds Stalled
• Federal Judge Restores DACA, Orders DHS to Accept First-Time Applications
• TPS Extended for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan
• Caregiver Abuse Registry Delayed in State Budget
• YW Building in Back Bay to Become Affordable Housing Complex
• Airlines Will no Longer be Required to Transport Emotional Support Animals
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • COVID-19 Isolation and Recovery Sites Updates
  • Direct Overnight Access to an MGH Spanish Interpreter for Patients/Families
  • Institute for Health and Recovery’s Recovery Support and Parenting Programs List
  • GoGo Grandparent - Transport and Food Delivery for Those Unable to Use Smartphones
• Health Care Coverage
  • Turning 65 Can Impact MassHealth Eligibility- Members Should Plan Ahead and Seek Advice
  • Medicare Reminder - Affording Prescription Drugs
  • CMS Releases 2021 Spousal Impoverishment Standards
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Massachusetts Lawmakers Reach Deal on Wide-Ranging Health Care Bill
  • USDA Cuts Back on Hunger Relief Shipments to Massachusetts
  • Bristol, Worcester and Hampden Counties Seeing Disproportionate Share of Eviction Filings
  • Coronavirus Vaccinations to Begin in Boston's Homeless Community
  • RI Prioritizes Vaccinating Hard-Hit Communities - Some Epidemiologists Think MA Should Too
  • Opinion: Shrinking Size of Haystack Key to Preventing Horrific Cases of Child Abuse

 

November 2020

• 12 Million to Lose Jobless Benefits the Day After Christmas Unless Congress Acts
• MA Utilities Agree to Extend Winter Moratorium on Residential Shut-Offs Regardless of Financial Hardship
• Boston Office for Housing Stability Eviction Prevention Resources
• Federal Foreclosure Moratorium for Eligible Homeowners
• Coming Soon- COVID Eviction Legal Help Project
• RAFT is Understaffed and Overwhelmed
• Back SNAP Payments Going to 25KHouseholds - Those No Longer Receiving Should Check EBT
• LIHEAP Funds Released
• Citing Possible Fraud, Mass is Rejecting Unemployment Claims at a High Rate
• Fewer Than 10 Percent of Small Businesses That Applied are Expected to Get State Grants
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • MA Paid Family Leave Effective January 1, 2021
  • New Cambridge Low- and Middle-Income Building Accepting Lottery Applications
  • One Day To Remember - Special Outings for Families with a Parent with Life-Limiting Illness
  • Handhold Website Helps Parents Determine Should I Worry About My Kid
  • Boston Houses More Than 100 Young People in First Year of Initiative
  • Hamel-Lydon Chapel & Cremation Service Launches Spanish Language Line
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Releases Rule on Vaccine Coverage, Payments
  • 2021 Medicare Part B Premiums and Deductibles Announced
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Landlords of Thousands of MA Apartments Agree to Pause Evictions
  • Opinion- Justice demands That We Strengthen Eviction Protections
  • We Need to Hold the City and State Accountable to End Family Homelessness
  • A Million People in Mass. Don’t Have Enough Food and Food Distribution Systems Have Been Upended
  • MA House Budget Would Expand MassHealth Dental Coverage
  • AG Report-Technology, Housing Could Alleviate Health Disparities
  • Opinion - Consumers Need Greater Protection from Creditors
  • Lack of ID Unnecessary Hurdle After Prison

 

October 2020 

•  Rental Relief and the CDC Eviction Moratorium 
• The Scramble for Space to Shelter Homeless 
• Last Minute Voting for Inpatients and Voting Rights on Election Day 
• It's Fuel Assistance Season 
• State Launching $115M Program to Boost Small Businesses - Early Nov Deadline 
• Deadline to Register for Economic Impact Payment Further Extended 
• Reminder - SNAP Work Rules Are Suspended During Pandemic, Those Cut-Off Can Reapply, and ABAWD Lawsuit Settlement 
• SNAP Cost of Living Adjustment 
• New Law Will Make 988 the National Suicide Hotline Number 
• Social Security Administration In-Person Appointments Update 
• Social Security 2021 Benefits Increase 
• Recipients of Lowest MA Unemployment will Receive Bonus
• Program Highlights
  • Chelsea Collaborative Now La Colaborativa and Broadens Service Area 
  • Help for Pet Owners Facing Eviction 
  • Cambridge Opens Public Showers as Housing Instability Grows 
  • Boston's Double Up Food Bucks 
  • Expanding Seniors Save Program Helps Seniors Replace Old Heating Systems 
  • Mystic Valley Elder Services TRIP Metro North Program- Mileage Stipend 
  • Lawrence Mayor Unveils $400K Child Care Fund
• Healthcare Coverage
  • CMS Releases 2021 Medicare Advantage and Part D Cost-Sharing Information
• Policy & Social Issues 
• MA Foster Parents Could be First in Nation to Unionize 
• As Many as 129K MA Immigrants May Refuse MassHealth over Public Charge Fear Trump's Executive Order on Health Care is no Replacement for Obamacare 

September 2020

• Baker Signals He Won’t Extend Eviction Moratorium Beyond October 17, While Study Details Illegal Evictions
• CDC (Federal) Eviction Moratorium, Interaction with MA Moratorium and RI Resources
• Voting- Check if Your Registration is Current, Voting for People with Disabilities, Last Minute Voting for Inpatients and More
• Comparison Grid of Unemployment Benefits During the Pandemic
• P-EBT Extended for September - But with New Rules
• New Public Charge Explainers from the State
• Court Rules Trump Can End TPS for 300K Immigrants
• USCIS Raises Fees and Eliminates Fee Waivers for Most Immigration Applications – Halted for Now
• State Utilities Shut-Off Moratorium and Municipal Utilities
• Same-Sex Partners Win Right to Social Security Survivor Benefits
• State Halts Admissions to Landmark at Longwood After Investigators Find Dementia Patients Locked in Rooms
• Globe Finds Potential Medicaid Discrimination at Massachusetts Nursing Homes
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • October 15 Deadline to Complete the IRS Non-Filers Tool to Get Stimulus Payment This Year and Application Assistance
  • Apply for DDS Autism Services Waiver Program Waitlist Oct 16- 31
  • Massachusetts Dedicates Special Hours on Wednesdays at 5 RMV Locations to Customers Age 75 or Older Who Need to Renew Licenses
  • MassSupport - FREE Counseling and Resource Navigation for Those Impacted by COVID
  • Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter Advocacy Tips
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Fall Open Enrollment Reminder
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Opinion: Imbalanced Commission Report Does Not Do Enough to Make Nursing Homes Responsible for Resident Safety
  • Trump Signs New Executive Order on Prescription Drug Prices
  • Baker Unveils Nursing Home Aid Package

 

August 2020

• $300 a Week Jobless Supplement Coming Soon
• Unemployment Extended Benefits - EB
• New Public Charge Rules Again in Effect for Most of the Country
• Families Just Over-Income Can Get TAFDC Clothing Allowance and Additional Benefits If Apply in September
• Voting Rights and Voting by Mail
• IRS Extends Deadline to Use Non-Filers Tool to Receive $500 Economic Impact Payments for Dependent Children
• Compassionate Allowances: Five Conditions Added to Fast Track
• Common Public Benefits Misconceptions and Advocacy Tips
• The Bills Keep Piling Up What Can I Do?
• Boston Public Library in Copley Square Will Allow People Inside to Use Computers and Boost Outdoor Wi-Fi at Others
• State Offers Childcare Flexibilities
• How to Gear Up for a Year of Long-Distance Remote Learning
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team
  • Attorney General Settles with Real Estate Companies Over Rental Discrimination and Releases Guides
  • Apartment Guide Website- Search by Disability Access
• Health Care Coverage
  • Observation Status Patients Can Challenge Lack of SNF Coverage
  • Medicare Savings Programs- MassHealth Buy-In Update
  • MassHealth Now Accepts Authorized Representative Designee and Permission to Share Information Verbally
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Census 2020 Deadline Moved Up - Now September 30; Resources at Risk
  • Trump's Executive Order on Housing Doesn't Guarantee a Federal Eviction Moratorium Extension
  • Breakfast after the Bell Law Signed
  • Post Office Delays Threaten Access to Mail-Order Medications

 

July 2020

• Baker Extends Eviction Moratorium
• Boston Housing Authority Extends Nonessential Eviction Moratorium to End of 2020
• Extra $600 a Week Unemployment Ends - Many Will Again Be Eligible for SNAP But Need to Apply
• Public Charge Changes Blocked Nationwide During the Pandemic
• Public Charge- New Handout on Health Connector Benefits and MassHealth
• The RIDE Resumes Pre-Pandemic Duration of Medical Necessity Approvals and Resumes Fare Collection
• Guidance from State- Food pantries cannot ask for Photo IDs
• Voting- COVID-19 Elections Updates
• Trump Administration Is Not Printing Legal Immigrants’ Green Cards and Work Authorizations
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance Program
  • Financial Planning for People with Disabilities- ABLE Accounts Reminder
  • Chelsea Eats- Food Debit Card Program
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Family Assistance Adds Rehab, Chronic Disease Hospital and SNF Coverage
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Promises Improved Behavioral Health Coverage Including Ongoing Telehealth and Increased Child Psychiatry Reimbursement
• Policy & Social Issues
  • The Realities of Affordable Housing Waitlists
  • Black Renters Face Egregious Housing Discrimination
  • Trump Administration Resisting Calls to Extend Free Meals without Proof of Income
  • Trump Administration Refuses to Accept New DACA Applicants Despite Court Rulings

 

June 2020

• DTA Now Accepts Phone Applications for SNAP and Cash Assistance
• SNAP Updates - Interim Reports and Recertifications Resume and Emergency Supplements for June Approved
• Emergency Assistance (EA) Shelter Escalation Contacts
• Transgender Health Protections Reversed by Trump Administration
• Supreme Court Protects DACA - For Now
• The Trump Administration Just Furloughed 13,400 Immigration Workers; Effectively Halting the US Immigration System
• Boston's Immigration Court Set to Reopen- Critics Say It's Too Soon
• Substance Use Treatment Changing at Plymouth Prison
• COVID-19 in DCF Group Homes
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Postpartum Depression Resources
  • Public Guardian Services
  • LINC Program- Housing and Benefits Legal Assist for Health Center Patients
  • MGH Cancer Center’s Young Adult Program Launches Private Facebook Group
  • HousingMatch.org
  • Medical Air Transportation - PALS Resumes Flights
  • Farmers Market Coupons for Eligible Cambridge and Somerville Residents
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Cost Sharing Rule Changes
  • Health Connector Offers New Ways to Pay Bills and Read Notices
• Policy & Social Issues
  • When Health Care Moves Online, Many Patients Are Left Behind
  • How the Unemployment Insurance System is Failing Workers of Color

(MGH Community News did not publish in March, April or May 2020 due to COVID-19)

Februrary 2020

• New Social Security Disability Rules Effective April 27, 2020
• Voting for Hospitalized Patients - Primary is March 3rd
• Public Charge Rule Goes into Effect
• Patients with Chronic Health Conditions May be Being Inappropriately Discharged from Home Health After Recent Medicare Changes
• Baker Signs Law Creating Caregiver Abuse Registry
• Summer Camp Financial Assistance Options
• Tax Filing Reminders for Health Connector and MassHealth Members
• State Suspending Farm Food Benefits Program - Healthy Incentives Program Demand Outstrips Funding
• New Flyer- Programs that Disregard Census Income
• Sealed Criminal Records Still Showing at FBI
• New MA Hands-Free Driving Law Effective February 23, 2020
• SJC Says Relatives Cannot Sue Nursing Homes for Wrongful Death They Sign Arbitration Agreements
• Insurers Sign $1M Settlement with Healey Over Mental Health Parity
• Trump Expands Travel Ban
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Somerville Helps Tenants Fight Eviction with Information
  • A Place for Mom - Free Assistance with Long-Term Care Placement Process
  • Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition Helps High School Students Return to School After Extended Mental Health Absences
  • Stupid Cancer- Supporting Teens and Young Adults with Cancer
  • Irish International Immigrant Center Becomes the Rian Immigrant Center
• Health Care Coverage
  • State to End Premium Assistance for Poor College Students
  • Medicare Reminder -Special Needs Plans
  • Medicare Reminder - Medicare and Travel
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Trump’s Budget Proposal Renews Calls to Cut Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, SSI and Totally Eliminate Legal Services Funding
  • Advocacy Opportunity- Ask the FTC to Require Funeral Homes to Post Prices Online
  • Bill Would Make It Easier for Homeless to Get Massachusetts State ID Card
  • Legalizing Debt Service Companies in Mass Raises Concerns
  • Worcester Using Canadian Model to Connect People to Needed Services
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Fraught Decision- Older Drivers Agonize Over When to Give Up Keys
  • A Novel Approach to Counseling Depressed, Anxious Teens: Video-Chatting with Therapists

 

January 2020

• Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration’s Public Charge Changes to Proceed
• RAFT Upstream- DHCD Indicates They Intend to Continue with $4K Cap Despite New Legislative Language
• MA Rape Kit Tracking System Launches Giving Survivors Online Access to Track Evidence
• Free Tax Prep Help- Including One with No Income Limit
• New MassHealth PCA PCM Organizations and PCA Rules Update
• US Census Income Non-Countable for SNAP, TAFDC and EAEDC
• Certain Disability Payments and Workers Compensation May Affect Your Social Security Benefits
• More Areas of MA Waived from SNAP Work Requirements- At Least for Now
• State Department Final Rule Targeting Pregnant Women Seeking Visas and New Requirements for Those Seeking Medical Treatment
• Complaints Against Guidewire- DDS Residential Provider
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Free or Low-Cost PT - Marjorie K Ionta PT Center for Clinical Education and Health Promotion
  • City of Boston Office of Language and Communication Access
  • Grateful Friends- Supporting Cancer Survivors
  • Trafficking Victims’ Assistance Program
  • New Issue Brief Counters Harmful False Beliefs about Medicare Coverage for Skilled Care
  • NPR’s “Life Kit” Explores How to Start Therapy
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Now Covers Opioid Treatment Programs and is Primary Payer for Dual Eligibles
• MassHealth Medicare Savings Programs Eligibility Expanded
• Medicare Reminder- Part D Prescription Drug Transition Refills
• Medicare Reminder- Medicare D and the Donut Hole
• MassHealth Primary Care Providers Joining New ACOs Jan 1 and Continuity of Care Protections
• Policy & Social Issues
  • CMS Releases Guidance Encouraging States to Block Grant Medicaid Programs
  • Opinion- MA Red Flag Law Could Save More Lives If Only More Knew About It
  • Legislation to Improve Caregiver Planning for Unexpected Parental Absence
  • Immigration Fee Hike Rule, Including New Fee for Asylum- Comment Period Reopens For 2 Weeks
  • Encourage Census Participation- Why it Matters
  • Baker Pushes for More Emphasis on Primary Care, Mental Health
  • DCF First Annual Report Highlights Progress and Stubborn Problems
  • Walsh Wants Major Companies to Help Finance Affordable Housing

2019 Newsletters

December 2019

• RAFT Upstream Homelessness Prevention Program Further Expanded
• Administration to Limit SNAP Work Requirement Exemptions for High Unemployment Areas
• Expanding Social Security Field Office Hours
• Boston’s Tough Rules Governing Airbnb Rentals are Finally in Full Effect and Impact Length of Stay
• Becoming a U.S. Citizen Just Got More Difficult
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New Process – MGH Parking Fees Waived for Families Who Lose a Loved-One
  • Opening in January – Dr Ruth McLain Hospice Home in Braintree
  • What is an ESRD Network Organization?
  • Mass. to Open Monitoring Centers for Drug Users Who Overdose
• Health Care Coverage
  • New Law Extends Health Coverage for Former Foster Youth
  • Court Declares Part of Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional- Threatening Entire Law
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Trump Proposes Social Security Change That Could End Disability Benefits for Hundreds of Thousands
  • Pine Street Inn Gets Key Approval for Boston's Largest Housing Development for People Who've Been Homeless
  • Poor Workers Struggling with a Child-Care Debt Trap
  • Why Student Loan Borrowers with Disabilities Aren’t Getting the Help They Deserve
  • Social Security Has Tilted to Favor Higher Earners Who Delay Claiming Benefits
  • Choosing, Using, and Losing Your Health Care- A Policy First-Aid Kit

 

November 2019

• New Social Security Representative Payee Portal
• Feds Reduce Fuel Assistance to MA – Again
• Temporary Protected Status Extended for 6 Countries
• Court Blocks Trump Rule that Would Negatively Impact Patient Care
• Mass RMV Is Now Offering Non-Binary Gender X Licenses and ID Cards
• Kuehn Foundation Heading Effort to Create Affordable-Housing-Search Site
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Ride United – United Way Offers Free Lyft Rides
  • Massasoit to Offer Tuition-Free College for Low-Income Boston Students
• Health Care Coverage
  • Upcoming Medicare Coverage Improvements for Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Medicare Savings Plans – Buy-In Program Eligibility Expansion
  • MassHealth Has Eliminated Co-Pays on Smoking Cessation Products
  • Medicare Advantage Plans May Offer Additional Supplemental Benefits in 2020 for Those with Chronic Illnesses
  • Medicare Reminder: Patient Advocacy - Filing a Quality of Care Complaint
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Legislation Seeks to Protect Tenants from Unfair Stigma & Permanent Eviction Records
  • Trump Administration’s Third Different Attack on SNAP Benefits
  • Industry Group Says 1 In 4 Nursing Homes at Risk of Closing
  • The SSI Restoration Act of 2019
  • Former Hyde Park Middle School to Become New England's First LGBTQ-Friendly Senior-Housing
  • Mass. Has the First Jail in The Country That’s also a Licensed Methadone Treatment Provider
  • Many Colleges Still in Denial About Need for Recovery Services
  • Some Boston Neighborhoods Face Severe Child Care Shortage - and it’s Unaffordable Almost Everywhere
  • Judge Blocks Trumps Plan to Bar Immigrants Who Can’t Pay for Health Care
  • Elder Economic Insecurity High in MA
  • America's 'Shame': Medicaid Funding Slashed in U.S. Territories

 

October 2019

• Court Imposes Nationwide Injunction on Trump Public Charge Changes
• El Salvador Temporary Protected Status Extended
• Massachusetts Senate Passes Bill to Create Registry of Caregivers Who Abuse People with Disabilities
• State Suspends License of Worcester Funeral Director Peter Stefan Known for Burying the Poor
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Adult Foster Care- The Adult Family Care Program
  • Crossroads Resource Center Opens in Charlestown
  • Jack & Jill Foundation- Creating WOW Experiences for Families with a Parent with Late-Stage Cancer
  • Free Yoga, Meditation, Pilates, or Mindfulness Classes for Cancer Patients and Survivors
  • Perkins Library for Free and Accessible Resources for People with Disabilities
• Health Care Coverage
  • ConnectorCare Open Enrollment 2020- November 1, 2019 to January 23, 2020
  • MassHealth: Affidavits for Proof of Zero Income, Massachusetts Residency, and Incarceration Status
• Policy & Social Issues
  • As Promised Help for DCF Lags, Top Lawmaker Launches Unusual Oversight
  • Foster Children, Parents Push for Outside Review of DCF Foster Care Cases
  • Parents Fighting for Custody of Their Kids Thwarted by DCF Office Moves
  • Trump Administration’s Plan to Require Immigrants Show Health Insurance
  • 90K Kids in Massachusetts Live in Concentrated Poverty
  • Number of Uninsured Children Rises for Second Year, Tops 4 Million

 

September 2019

• RAFT Upstream- New Homelessness Prevention Funds Allow Earlier Intervention
• Immigration Officials Resume Consideration of Non-Military Medical Deferred Action Requests
• Public Charge- Resource Updates
• The RIDE’s New Scheduling Software - Routematch
• AARP and Project Bread Team Up for SNAP Outreach
• DTA Clarifies Same Day Issuance of EBT Cards Without Photo ID
• DPH Failed to Investigate Nursing Home Complaints in a Timely Manner
• Unclaimed Bodies Languish While Mortician, Worcester Spar on Cremation Procedure
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Advocacy Tip: Dual Eligibles Receiving Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers Should Have No Co-Pays for Part D Drugs
• Health Care Coverage
  • Now or Never: MassHealth to Close Door on Pooled Disability Trusts
  • Medicare Reminder: Fall Open Enrollment Advisory - Check Even If You Are Happy with Your Plans
  • Medicare Reminder: Medicare Eligibility Due to a Disability
• Policy & Social Issues
  • EAEDC Modernization Bill
  • MA Attempts to Rein-In Drug Costs
  • Lawmakers Seek Early Intervention for Opioid-Exposed Babies
  • Trump Rule on Medical Interpreters Dangerous for Immigrants
  • Trump Administration Slashes Refugee Limit for the Third Consecutive Year to an Historic Low

 

August 2019

• After Receiving Denial Letters Immigrants Fear End of Medical Deferral Program
• Public Charge Rules Published - Effective in October Unless Blocked
• Trump’s Move Halts Virtually All Asylum Cases in New England
• The RIDE Hikes Fares, Adds “Curb” to On Demand Pilot
• Trump Signs Order to Make it Easier for Disabled Veterans to Receive Student Loan Forgiveness
• Recovery Coach Licensing Proposed
• Auditor Faults DHCD for Not Informing Family Shelter Residents of Sex Offenders
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Recovery at Home Behavioral Home Health Offers Home Therapy and Intensive Case Management
  • Amputee Peer Counseling Program - AMPOWER
  • Bridgewell Recuperative Care Center - Homeless Respite in Lynn
  • New Partners Patient and Family Stroke Education Booklet
  • Boston’s Operation Exit Provides Pipeline from Courtrooms to New Careers
  • MA Blocks New Admissions into High Point Treatment Center
  • Mass. Sheriff Touts Success of Involuntary Treatment Program Amid Scrutiny of Section 35
  • Two Communities Pilot Limited On-Demand Public Transit
  • Marlborough Launching Commuter Rail Shuttle
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Clarifies that Nonemergency Ambulance May Be Used to Medically Necessary Mental Health or Addiction Treatment at 24 Hour Level of Care Settings
  • Medicare Reminder- Premium-Free Part A Based on a Spouse’s Work History
  • Medicare Reminder- What is Medigap?
  • Medigap Plan Changes Coming in 2020
  • Advocates- Medicare Plan Finder and Marketing Guidelines Harmful to Consumers
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Public Comment on Proposed SNAP Restrictions- Deadline September 23
  • Three Hospitals Team Up to Help Low-Income Families Pay the Rent
  • Judge Stops New Hampshire Medicaid Work Requirements
  • As Costs Mount, States Scramble for New Ways to Pay for Late-In-Life Care
  • Opinion- Stop Scapegoating Mental Illness for Mass Violence

 

July 2019

• Emergency Assistance (Family Shelter) Requirement to Stay in a Place Not Meant for Human Habitation Repealed
• FY20 State Budget Update
• Administration Rolls Back Rule Protecting Nursing Home Residents from Forced Arbitration
• Immigration Policy Updates
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Dolan Fund Family Fun Day Luncheon Cruise - for Families of Seriously Ill Children
  • MassHealth Enhanced Coordination of Benefits Program
  • Spaulding Adaptive Sports Program
  • Spreading the News About ABLE Accounts in the Disability Community
  • Congress Releases List of Poorly Performing Nursing Facilities
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Public Comment Period for Proposal to Remove Health Care Civil Rights Protections (for LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities and People with Limited English Proficiency)
  • Mass Nursing Homes Get $50 Million Lifeline But More Closures Are Expected
  • Courts Order Delay of Trump Administrations Health Care 'Conscience Rights' Rule
  • New Hampshire Delaying Medicaid Work Requirements
  • US Plan to Allow Prescription Drugs from Canada
  • State Senate Passes Bill to Eliminate Ghost Networks
  • States Failure to Expand Medicaid Resulted in Over 15,000 Deaths
  • Trump Administration Proposes SNAP Restrictions
  • Expanded Welfare Benefits Pushed
  • Lawmakers Push Bill to Create Diaper Pantries
  • PCA Program May Require Electronic Visit Verification- Some Advocates are Wary
  • Food Is Medicine Report Outlines Menu of Options
  • In Massachusetts an Uneven Impact from Rising Rents

 

June 2019

• MassHealth to Cover Home Health Aid Without Requiring Concurrent Nursing or Skilled Service
• Presidential Memo on Enforcing the Legal Responsibilities of Sponsors of Aliens
• New Fact Sheet - HUD’s Proposal to Evict Mixed-Status Immigrant Families
• Judge Temporarily Halts Immigration Arrests at Massachusetts Courts
• Why Air Ambulance Bills Are Still Sky-High
• 5 Reasons to Use a Pooled Trust for MassHealth Spend-Downs
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New ConnectorCare Advocacy Guide
  • Veterans Services Benefits Screening Tool
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Advocates Decry Practice of Jailing Men for Addiction Treatment
  • Baystate Mental Health Consolidation Stirs Anxiety
  • New CORI Law Benefits Few
  • Baker Signs Delay in Paid Family Leave Tax Collection
  • New Mass General Gun Violence Center
  • Medical Errors Prevalent and Costly New Survey of Massachusetts Residents Shows
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Storytelling Helps Hospital Staff Learn About the Person, Not Just the Patient

 

May 2019

• MassHealth PT-1 Consumer Web Portal Changes and Practice Implications
• To Stem Displacement Boston Will Set Value of Housing Vouchers by ZIP Code
• Update to DTA SNAP Policy for Persons with Disabilities Who Can't Make and Buy Their Own Food
• MBTA Piloting Remote Visual Interpreter Services
• State Officials Give Employers More Time on Paid-Leave Decision
• Mass General to Acquire Exeter NH Hospital
• Beware Medicare Genetic Testing Scam
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • MGH Connect to Wellness (Reminder)
  • Veterans Benefits Overview
  • Location Devices for Wandering Patients
  • Barrier Free Playgrounds list
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Reminder - Appeal Rights
  • Changes to Medicare Prior Authorization for DME Coming in October
  • MassHealth and Disability- Applications and Determination Process
  • New Health Advocacy Group- Consumers First
• Policy & Social Issues
  • MA Rental Arrearage Assistance Program Budget Proposal
  • Fact Sheet- Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: A Critical Benefit at Risk
  • Assisted-Living Closures a Troublesome Trend
  • Bill Would Make it a Felony to Assault Health Providers
  • Baker Administration Pledges Major Reforms for Troubled Foster Care System
  • Immigrant Families in Public Housing Units Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal
  • HHS Proposes Gutting LGBTQ and LEP Health Care Rights
  • New Trump Rule Protects Health Care Workers Who Refuse Care for Religious Reasons
  • Proposed HUD Rule Would Strip Transgender Protections at Homeless Shelters
  • Trump Administration Proposal Would Make it Easier to Deport Immigrants Who Use Public Benefits
  • Most Generics are Manufactured Overseas and Safety Concerns are Mounting
  • Competing Visions for Shattuck Campus- Behavioral Health and Homeless Services vs. Park Land
  • Social Security Trust Fund Solvency Estimates Projections Much Improved
• Of Clinical Interest
  • National Eating Disorders Parent Toolkit

 

April 2019

• TAFDC Family Cap is Finally Lifted in Massachusetts
• MassHealth PT-1 Portal Changes - Upcoming Webinar Trainings
• Baker Administration Increases Heating Funds After Legislators Protest, But Still Holding Back
• Positive DTA changes to SNAP Interim Reports and Recertifications- Including Online Submission
• GBLS Advocate Advisory - Educate Your Clients About Competitive Energy Suppliers’ Shady Tactics
• Baker Signs Conversion Therapy Ban
• Massachusetts Veterans Bonus Sees Surge After Application Goes Online
• Uber/Lyft Fees Will Help Increase Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicles
• How to Find a Therapist When You Need One
• Massachusetts to Add 398 Dual Diagnosis Treatment Beds
• Meet Luna, Massachusetts State Police’s First Comfort Dog
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Free Cancer Treatment Lodging from Airbnb and Cancer Support Community
• Massachusetts Defense for Eviction - Self-Guided Eviction Help
• “Savvy Caregiver” Dementia Training Returns in May
• The Living Room - Peer-Led Crisis Alternative
• Shaw Fund for Mariners’ Children (and Wives and Mariners Themselves...)
• Veterans and SNAP - Outreach and Advocacy Brochures
• Couple Has Given Away Household Goods - And Hope - For Decades
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminders
• Immigrant Access to Medicare
• Medicare Drug Coverage
• Hospice Care
• Immunosuppressant Coverage
• 2020 Medigap Changes- the Newly Eligible Will Not be Able to Buy Plans that Cover the Part B Deductible
• MassHealth Flexible Services Program to Start in 2020 - Includes Nutrition and Housing Assistance
• HCBS Spousal Impoverishment Protection & MFP Funding Extended
• Policy & Social Issues
• Trump Administration Proposes Allowing States to Halt Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation - PT-1
• For Foster Parents Chaotic State System Makes Job Even Harder
• Trump Administration Prepares Rule That May Deny Care to Transgender Patients
• Mental Health Urgent Care on Demand
• USCIS Proposes Additional Barriers for Fee Waivers
• Opinion- Our Health Care System Fails Family Caregivers
• New Dementia Care Approaches are Emerging to Support Patients and Families
• After a Decade of Paying Back Student Loans, Public Workers Denied Relief
• Immigrants Who Use Marijuana or Work in Industry Could be Denied Citizenship
• Of Clinical Interest
• Evaluating Mental Health Apps
• Does Taking Time for Compassion Make Doctors Better at Their Jobs?

 

March 2019

• After Deaths and Injuries Nursing Homes Agree to Penalties & Closures in State Settlement
• Quincy Center for Compassion to Close After Four Decades
• ICE Made More than 100 Arrests at Massachusetts Courthouses in the Past Year
• New Reports Paint Dismal Picture of Care at VA Nursing Homes
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Robert’s Program - Support for Families Who’ve Experienced Sudden Unexplained Death in Pediatrics
• The Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death
• Managed Medical Transport- Long-Distance Non-Emergency Medical Transport
• People with Disabilities are Entitled to a Free Lifetime Pass to National Parks
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Adult Dental to Cover Additional Periodontal Services Effective 4-22-19
• Medicare Reminder- Medicare Ambulance Coverage and NO Coverage of Chair-Cars
• Why Do People Leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare?
• Policy & Social Issues
• Trump Budget Proposal Calls for Deep Medicaid Cuts and Adding Work Requirements
• Conversion Therapy Bill Lacking Enforcement Mechanisms
• Lawmakers Vote to Scrap the “Cap on Kids”
• Housing Crisis Has Seniors in a Squeeze
• Why the Promise of Electronic Health Records Has Gone Unfulfilled
• Surprise Medical Bills- The Doctor is Not in Your Insurance Plan
• Of Clinical Interest
• Their Baby Died During his Nap Then Medical Bureaucrats Deepened the Parents’ Anguish
• How to Communicate with Children on Difficult Subjects Such as Death
• 10 Things We Know About Cannabis and Health

 

February 2019

• March SNAP Going Out a Few Days Early to the Majority of Households
• Mass. Issues Guidelines Against Denying Life Insurance to Those Carrying Naloxone
• One Hundredth Memory Cafe Opens in Massachusetts
• ACS March Program Pause- Transportation and Hotel Partners Program
• State Will Offer Dorm Rooms for Some Homeless College Students
• New Mass. General Buildings Would be Designed to Survive Battering from a Superstorm - or Terrorists
• State Offers Online Application for Massachusetts Global War on Terrorism Welcome Home Bonus
• Winter Moratorium on Heat Related Utility Shut-Offs Extended to April 1
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Options Counseling Provides Answers on Aging and Disability
  • CHAMP Centralized State-Aided Public Housing Application Website
  • HousingWorks Says ALL Subsidized and Affordable Applications Now Available Through Site
  • Free Tax Filing Assistance for People with Disabilities Elders and those with Low Income
  • Food for Free - Food Pantry Home Delivery in Cambridge
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Reminder: MassHealth Extended Eligibility After an Earned Income Increase
  • Medicare Reminder- Durable Medical Equipment
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Boston Allocates $26 Million For Affordable Housing Developments
  • Legislators Seek Right to Counsel for Those Facing Eviction
  • MassHealth Spousal Impoverishment Protections for Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers May Expire at the End of March
  • Social Security Administration Proposes Eliminating Limited English Proficiency as Factor in Disability Determination
  • Medicare Announces Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport Model to Reduce Unnecessary Emergency Department Use
  • Veterans Will Have More Access to Private Health Care Under New VA Rules
  • Opinion: CMS Proposal Would Allow Medicare D and Medicare Advantage Plans to Further Limit Prescription Access
• Of Clinical Interest
  • 5 Things to Consider When Facing Loneliness Later in Life

 

January 2019

• MassHealth PT-1 Enforcing 3-Day Notice Requirement and Address Change Policy
• Impact of the Government Shutdown on SNAP - Long Interval Between Payments Causes Hardship
• Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents from Additional Communities to Lose SNAP
• Consumer Disclosures Now Mandated for Assisted Living Residents
• LIHEAP Shortfall Expected
• 2019 Federal Poverty Levels
• South Shore Mental Health is Now Aspire Health Alliance
• Lax Oversight of Home Health Workers
• Deal Will Allow Trial Judges to Order ICE to Deliver Detained Defendants to Court
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Help Steps Social Service Resources Finder
  • Logan Airport Medical Patient Assistance Program
  • Weekly The Clubs at Charles River Park Memberships Available to MGH Patients and Families
  • YMCA Corner Stone Program - Discounts and Free Summer Camp for Cancer Patients, Survivors and Families (North Shore)
  • For the First Time Massachusetts Cellphone Users Can Text 911
  • Where to Direct Patients Looking for an MGH Cost Estimate
  • Advocacy Guide: 25 Common Nursing Home Problems & How to Resolve Them
  • Tips to Stop Abusive Debt Collection Practices
  • Health Story Collaborative
• Health Care Coverage
  • Changes to Health Connector Coverage for Those Eligible for Medicare
  • Medicare Reminder- Part A, B and D Drug Coverage
  • Medicare Notes- Members Should Have Their New Medicare Cards and When to Use Which Medicare Card
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Trying to Avoid the Cliff- Seniors Advocate for Expanded Medicare Savings Eligibility
  • Mass Medical Society Announces New Policy Advocating for Safe Access to Health Care for Immigrants and Refugees
  • American Medical Association Journal of Ethics Dedicates Issue to Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants
  • Massachusetts Will Ask Medicaid Patients About Quality of Care
  • Rising Cost of Insulin Forces Difficult Choices
  • Merrimack Valley Residents Report Receiving Large Backdated Gas Bills
  • MA Minimum Wage Increase Should NOT Create a Cliff Effect
  • Why You May Be Denied Life Insurance for Carrying Naloxone
  • A Double Diagnosis- Cancer While Poor
  • Massachusetts Residents Struggle to Access Mental Health Care
  • Opinion- Medicaid Work Requirements Can’t Be Fixed and Maine and New Hampshire Are Among States with Approval to Enact Them
• Of Clinical Interest
  • MassHealth Behavioral Health Partnership Now Covers Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

 

2018 Newsletters

December 2018

• Certain Elderly and Disabled SNAP Households No Longer Need to Complete Interim Reports Every 6 Months
• The Affordable Care Act is Still in Effect and MA Open Enrollment Continues
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Real Lives Massachusetts- Website Helps DDS Clients Self-Direct Services
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Number of Homeless People in Mass. is Up 14 Percent This Year
  • Many High-Need Massachusetts Youth Await After-School Program Slots

 

November 2018

• Rest Homes in Mass. Keep Closing as Financial Pressures Mount
• John Jeffries House to Become a Luxury Boutique Hotel
• Positive Changes to SNAP Overpayment Collections
• State Cracks Down on Casper Funeral Home for Storing Bodies in South Boston Garage
• Blatant Disregard for Safety at Brockton VA Nursing Home US Finds
• Synergy Health Centers Closing Nursing Homes Amid Mounting Bills
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • UMass Commonwealth Medicine- Community Case Management
  • New Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Patient Aid Program
  • UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation - For Families with Commercial Insurance
  • The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds - Encourages Resilience in Youth with Mental Health Disorders
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Announces Two-Year Gap in Competitive Bidding Supplier program for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS)
  • Advocates Say CMS Open Enrollment Materials Favor Medicare Advantage Over Original Medicare
  • Medicare Reminder- Your Rights When a Provider Refuses to Submit a Medicare Claim
  • Expanded Medicare Advantage Benefits Will Be Hard to Find This Year
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Extensions Likely
  • Difficulty Accessing Assistive Technology? Disability Law Center Seeking Cases
  • State Funds Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Programs
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Firearms and Dementia- How Do You Convince A Loved One to Give Up Their Guns
  • New England Journal of Medicine Launches Case Studies in Social Medicine Series - Attending to Structural Forces in Clinical Practice

 

October 2018

• Voting Rights in Massachusetts
• TAFDC and EAEDC Cash Assistance Changes
• Fuel Assistance Season Starts 11/1
• SNAP Dependent Care Deduction Can Be Claimed When Looking for Work
• Public Charge Resources
• A Reprieve for TPS Holders
• VA Aid & Attendance Benefit- New Asset Limits and Look-Back Period
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Holiday Assistance 2018
  • New Resources for Expecting Moms and Obstetric Care Providers
  • Nesterly- Matching Over-Housed Empty-Nesters with Young Adults Needing Housing
  • Cancer Survivor and Patient Wellness Grants
• Health Care Coverage
• 2019 Connector Open Enrollment Starts November 1
• Changes to Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period and the Special Enrollment Period for People with Extra Help
• Medicare Advantage Plans May Offer Expanded Supplemental Benefits for 2019
• 2019 Medicare Premiums Announced
• CMS Extends Relief from Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties to People Transitioning from Marketplace Coverage
• Medicare Reminder: Medicare Coverage of Mental Health Services
• Medicare Reminder: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Trump Administration Considering Defining Transgender Out of Existence
  • Trump Says He Will End Birthright Citizenship Via Executive Order
  • Report- Elder Affairs Fails to Report Abuse to Prosecutors
  • Advocates Call on DPU to Take Action Against Deceptive Competitive Energy Suppliers
  • SJC Upholds Baker Administration Policy Barring EA Use of Hotels to Accommodate Disability
  • Congress Bans Pharmacist Gag Orders on Drug Prices
  • Mental Health Care Becoming Private-Pay Only
  • Refugee Cap Set Lowest Level in History
  • Questions About Social Security Answered as Election Day Nears

 

September 2018

• Disaster Resources- Natural Gas Explosions and Hurricane (and Other Natural Disasters)
• The Trump Administration’s Public Charge Press Release
• New DTA DV Specialist List
• BRAVE Act to Strengthen Services and Supports for Commonwealth’s Veterans
• State Budget Analysis - Impact on Programs of Interest
• TAFDC to Disregard Earned Income After a New Job
• DTA SNAP Verification Rules and Policy
• Do You Need Different Powers of Attorney and Health Care Proxys for Different States?
• Synergy Nursing Home Chain in Dire Straits
• Bed Sores, Neglect, Alleged abuse- Inside the Bedford VA Nursing Home
• Program & Resource Highlights
• MGH HOPE Clinic- Harnessing support for Opioid and Substance Use Disorders in Pregnancy and Early Motherhood
• AHOPE Harm Reduction and Needle Exchange
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder- Disaster Advocacy
• Medicare Reminder - Copays for Medicare D Extra Help
• Medicare Reminder- Fall Open Enrollment
• Policy & Social Issues
• State Payment for Indigent Burial So Low Few Funeral Homes Participate
• Report- Unique Challenges for LGBT Community Facing Dementia
• A Clash of Affordable Housing Visions
• Boston Raises its Goal for New Housing by 30 Percent
• What Does Massachusetts' Noncompete Reform Mean for You?
• MA Connector Has Lowest Average Premiums in the Country

 

August 2018

• MassHealth ACO and MCO Behavioral Health and Support Services: Community Partners (CP) Program
• EAEDC Homeless Penalty Ending
• Drafting Powers of Attorney to Deter Exploitation
• DTA Connect Updates
• DTA Releases Guidance on Using Housing Rent Computation for SNAP Medical Expenses
• DTA Now Offering Video Remote Interpreting for Deaf and HOH Clients
• SSI and SSDI Compassionate Allowances- 5 New Conditions Added
• Massachusetts Federal Judge Orders Hurricane Maria Evacuees to Leave FEMA Shelters by Sept. 14
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • New MGH TBI Program
  • Free Wage Theft Legal Clinics
  • Payday Loan Alternatives
  • Samaritans’ Support Services
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Group in Acton
• Health Care Coverage
  • New MAGI Tax Filing Threshold May Affect Medicaid & ACA Cost-Sharing Reduction Eligibility
  • Medicare Reminder: Home Health Benefits
  • Medicare Reminder: Medicare Part D
  • Medicare Reminder: Part D and Retiree Insurance Plans
  • New Fact Sheet- Enrolling in Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program for People Otherwise Subject to Medicare A Premiums
  • New Medicare Cards Being Sent to Beneficiaries in Wave 4 States- Including MA
  • CMS Announces New Rules That Will Complicate Part D Drug Formularies
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Public Charge- Clarification and New Advocate Reference
  • Boston Reduces Chronic Homelessness as it Rises Nationally
  • Alzheimer’s Law Signed by Governor Baker
  • Baker Signs Bill to Combat Opioid Epidemic
  • Trump Administration Expands Short-Term Health Plans Jeopardizing Coverage for Millions
  • A New Role for Paramedics: Treating Patients at Home

 

July 2018

• MassHealth to Discontinue Paper PT-1s as of 9/1/18
• DMH Services Reconfigured- Adult Community Clinical Services has replaced Community Based Flexible Supports
• Agency that Processes SNAP Farmers Market Program Closing- Many Working to Prevent Service Gap
• SNAP Advocacy - DTA Poor Communication When a Household Submits a Late Recertification or Interim Report
• Public Subsidized Housing Documentation of Medical Expenses May Now Be Used for SNAP
• Kinship Care Providers Should Not Inherit School Meal Debt
• SSI Benefits and Ownership of Joint Bank Accounts
• State Passes Red Flag Gun Law
• Congress Launches Investigation of Alleged Poor Care at VA Nursing Homes
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Lyft and Mass 2-1-1 are Partnering to Fill Transportation Gaps with Relief Rides
• ACS Ride Health Program
• BAGLY to Open Drop-In Center for LGBTQ Youth
• FREE help with DACA renewals
• New End-of-Life Website- EndwithCare
• MGH Asylum Clinic
• Certified Peer Specialists for Those in Recovery from Emotional Distress or Trauma
• Berkshire Agency Offers Low-Income Drivers a Path to Car Ownership
• Policy & Social Issues
• Social Service Action Alert Network
• MA FY19 Budget Update
• CMS Eliminates Mandatory Penalties Against Nursing Homes that Put Patient Safety at Risk
• Rising Cost of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Pushes It Out of Reach for Many
• How Drugmakers Sway Medicaid Medication Options
• Court Rules That Judges May Force Defendants with Drug Addiction to Stay Sober
• Change in USCIS Procedures - New Notice to Appear Issuance Guidance
• Kentucky Work Requirement Blocked- So State Cuts Medicaid Dental and Vision Coverage
• Opinion- Nursing Home Sector in Danger
• Domestic Violence Victims Disadvantaged in Family Court
• Of Clinical Interest
• Family Reunification Pamphlet to Help Healing
• Inhaled Heroin Tied to Peculiar, Often Catastrophic Brain Damage
• Ethics of Advocacy for Undocumented Patients

 

June 2018

• RIDE Uber/Lyft Pilot Extended; May Be Revamped
• Grand Bargain Law Includes $15 Minimum Wage and Paid Family Leave
• Secret VA Nursing-Home Ratings Hid Poor Quality Care from Public
• Massachusetts Health Connector Launches Stay Covered Campaign - MA Individual Mandate Continues
• Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine Showing Up in Fatal Overdoses
• Affordable Apartments Sitting Empty in Boston
• Mass. ICE agents to Reinstate In-Office Arrests
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • ACS Caregiver Resource Guide
  • Greater Boston Shelter Accessibility Fact Sheet
  • Boston Medical Center Establishes a Lifeline for Parents of Addicted Teens and Adults
  • Somerville Names First Housing Stability Director
  • Autism Insurance Resource Center Has New Website
  • Sheriff Launches Western Massachusetts Regional Treatment Facility for Opioid Addiction
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Reminder- Emergency and Non-Emergency Ambulance Coverage
  • CMS Expands Needed Relief for Marketplace Enrollees Who Missed Medicare Enrollment
  • MassHealth and Health Safety Net Provisional Income Eligibility Ending
  • MassHealth Managed Care Transitions
  • MassHealth One Care Ombudsman Now Serving Those in Managed Care Plans
• Policy & Social Issues
  • House Budget Plan Targets Medicare and Medicaid
  • Farm Bill Goes to Conference Committee - Stricter SNAP Work Requirements Hang In Balance
  • Trump Proposes Domestic Abortion Gag Rule
  • Geographic Disparities in SSI/SSDI Due to Prevalence of Disability and Socioeconomic Factors Not Inconsistent Administration
  • Opinion: Middlemen Drive Up Patient Drug Costs
  • Medicare Takes Aim at Boomerang Hospitalizations of Nursing Home Patients
  • US Officials Reject Baker’s Medicaid Proposals
  • Understanding the Medicare Trustees Report and the Social Security Trustees Report
  • Exploring the Link Between Housing and Health
  • First US City Tries Universal Basic Income
• Of Clinical Interest – The Opioid Crisis
• New Guidelines Can Help Hospitals with Treating Opioid Patients
• Five Myths About Medications to Treat Addiction
• New Nonopioid Med Blunts Drug Withdrawal Symptoms

 

May 2018

• SNAP Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) Match Reinstated Through June
• Additional SNAP Benefits Flyer
• SNAP Overpayment Fact Sheet
• Dealing with Social Security Overpayments
• Higher Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP) Benefits Approved
• Boston Rapid Re-Housing Program Restricts Eligibility
• New Contractor Hired to Oversee The Ride After Service Issues
• TPS Ending for Hondurans
• Updated Massachusetts Equal Pay Act Effective July 1
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • State Launches MassCompareCare.gov- Cost and Quality Site
  • Greater Boston Legal Services Accepting Referrals for Victims of Competitive Energy Suppliers
  • People with ALS Living Longer More Independent Lives at High-Tech Chelsea Home
  • Harmon Apartments Accessible Housing- Information Session and Lottery
  • Recreation Opportunities for People with Disabilities
• Health Care Coverage
  • To Lower Your Medicare Drug Costs Ask for The Cash Price
  • MassHealth Member Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
  • Medicare Coverage Primer
  • Medicare Reminder- Medicare Advantage and ESRD Medicare
  • Medicare Reminder- Skilled Therapy Coverage PT, OT, SLP
• Policy & Social Issues
  • SNAP Cuts Would Harm 2 Million People and Not Save Money
  • Public Charge Threat Impacting Healthcare
  • CMS Approves New Hampshire Medicaid Work Requirements
  • Does Ending Motel Use for Emergency Shelter Go Too Far?
  • HUD Proposes Rent Increases and Elimination of Income Deductions
  • Many Public College Students in Massachusetts Go Hungry While Trying to Earn Degrees
  • ICE agents in Mass Halt Controversial Practice of Office Arrests
  • Opioid Bill Includes Social Worker Loan Repayment Provision
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Pelvic Exams Done on Anesthetized Women Without Consent - Still Happening

 

April 2018

• Baker Signs Law Improving Patient Privacy in Health Insurance
• MART Rolling-Out New Online Booking for PT-1 Transport
• Advocating for Nursing Facility Residents under the Revised Federal Requirements
• New DTA SNAP Online Application
• SNAP HIP Suspension Flyers and Maximizing Benefits
• SNAP College Student Self Declaration of Financial Aid and Expenses
• Immigrant Access to Health Care Flyers
• New Immigrant Rights Videos from ACLU
• New SSI Basics Guide
• SSI Advocacy Guide – In-Kind Support and Maintenance
• New Changes to ABLE Programs for 2018
• North Shore Elder Services Announces Online Referral Form
• Terminating Competitive Energy Supply Contracts
• Nepali Immigrants to Lose Their Protected Status
• Mass General to Partner with Maine Health System
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • MA Office on Disability
  • Job Corps - Intensive Job Training for Low-Income Youth and Young Adults
  • Campus Career Connect Prepares College Students with Disabilities for Career Success
  • Detailed Manual on Protecting Assets and Child Custody in the Face of Deportation Available in Spanish
  • 2 Sisters Senior Living Advisors
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth ACO Updates
  • Medicare Reminder: The Five-Star Special Enrollment Period
• Policy & Social Issues
  • New Massachusetts Criminal Justice Law
  • US Farm Bill Would Further Limit SNAP
  • Trump Turns Attention to Welfare Programs
  • Is it Time to Stop Saying “The Safety Net”?

 

March 2018

• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Effective April 1
• DTA Clothing Allowance - Families Received Supplement this Month
• REAL ID Law Goes into Effect- Lawful Presence Required for MA ID
• Utility Shut-Off Winter Moratorium Ends April 1
• SNAP Helping Agency vs. an Authorized Representative
• Social Security Underpays Thousands of Widows and Widowers
• Now Available- Start a WIC Application Online
• AG Healey Calls for Shut Down of Individual Residential Competitive Supply Industry to Protect Electric Customers
• US Investigating Treatment of Addicted Prisoners in Mass
• Keep Your Health Care Directives Up to Date
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Uber Launching Health Rides for People Without SmartPhones
• DPH Launches Online Resource for Pregnant and Parenting Women with Substance Use Disorder
• Guides - Planning for Child Custody if a Parent is Deported
• Tax Breaks for Seniors and Boston Residents
• Amazon Prime Discount for Those with Medicaid or EBT Cards
• “Conversations with Caregivers” Upcoming Events
• Health Care Coverage
  • How Does Medicare Work with VA Benefits?
• Policy & Social Issues
  • MGH Becomes First Mass ED to Offer Addiction Medication
  • Massachusetts School Children Hurt by Unpaid School Meal Debt Policies
  • Wait Times at SSA Field Offices a Barrier
  • Advocates Ask SJC To Block Immigration Arrests at Mass Courthouses
  • Revised Public Charge Draft Goes Further and Reportedly Contemplating Deportations
  • Harmful Effects of Immigration Policy on Young Children
  • Opinion: The Cruel Ploy of Taking Immigrant Kids from Their Parents
  • Training Offered to Provide Asylum Evaluations

 

February 2018

• MassHealth Accountable Care Organizations Roll-Out is Here
• U.S. Supreme Court Buys Time for Dreamers
• The RIDE’s Uber and Lyft Pilot Update Including Current Cost Structure
• SNAP Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to Be Suspended
• It’s Tax Season - Documenting Insurance Coverage Still Required for 2017 Taxes
• State to Move Most Shattuck Hospital Care to South End
• Lowell-Based Mental-Health Center Shutting its Doors
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Hospitality Homes Can Provide Transportation and Enhanced Services for Maine Cancer Patients
  • Talking Pharmacy Prescription Labels App Coming Soon
• Health Care Coverage
  • New Medicare Cards to Protect SSNs - But Watch for Scams
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Baker Seeks to Ease Transition Off Welfare
  • GOP Seeks to Shrink Nations Safety Net with Cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, Rental Assistance
  • Major Health Provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018
  • Draft Public Charge Memo Leaked - Proposes Dramatic Changes in Public Benefits Accessibility for Immigrants

 

January 2018

• 2018 Social Security and Medicare Benefit Changes and New FPLs
• Federal Poverty Level Increase- How It Impacts SNAP
• Winter Moratorium Extended until April 1
• Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorians
• Congress Passes Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Funding
• DCF is Making Progress but Challenges Remain
• Puerto Rico Evacuees - FEMA Extensions Limited and Families Sheltering Evacuees in Public Housing Could Face Eviction
• Judge Blocks Trump Administration Plan to Roll Back DACA
• Justice Department Scraps ADA Guidance
• SNAP- Students Who Receive MASSGrant Financial Aid May be Eligible
• State Officials Defend Group Home Safety
• Program & Resource Highlights
  • Tool Helps Assess Alcohol Risk and Find Help
  • A Lift Up - Boston Homelessness Prevention Program for Low-Income Single Mothers
  • Acton Furniture and Household Goods Bank - Household Goods Inc
  • CareZONE Mobile Outreach Van to Target the Opioid Epidemic
  • Jobcase Seeks to be LinkedIn for Those Overlooked by Traditional Job Websites
  • Managing Behaviors Associated with Dementia- Resource Guides
  • Mentoring and Peer Support Resources
  • New Eviction Guide
  • Pet Foster Care Program Enables Intimate Partner Abuse Survivors to Enter Shelter
• Health Care Coverage
  • MassHealth Postpones Provisional Eligibility Changes
  • MassHealth Closes All PCC Panels in Preparation for ACO Roll-Out
  • Are Your Clients Missing Out on Enrollment in the Medicare Low-Income Subsidy?
  • Medicare Reminder- Power Wheelchair Coverage
  • Special Enrollment Periods for Hurricane Evacuees Extended
• Policy & Social Issues
  • RAISE Family Caregivers Act Signed into Law
  • Black Mothers in the U.S. are Dying in Childbirth at Three Times the Rate of White Mothers
  • New Mothers Overcoming Addiction Face a World of Obstacles
  • Boston’s Poor Forced to Find Apartments at 2005 Rental Rates
  • LEGAL Immigrants from Latin America Forgoing Health Services to Protect Family Members
  • Administration Announces New Office Expected to Allow LGBT Discrimination in Healthcare
  • Report Finds Widespread Bullying in Public Housing
  • Trump Lets States Require People to Work for Medicaid
  • When Deportation is a Death Sentence
• Of Clinical Interest
  • A Look at Massachusetts’ Mental Health Services
  • Can You Name More Than One Person on a Health Care Proxy?

 

2017 Newsletters

December 2017

• FAQs On Basic Benefits and Legal Rights for Puerto Rico Evacuees in Massachusetts
• “Know Your Rights” Cards Available in Multiple Languages
• MBTA to Remove Troubled Contractor for the RIDE
• Metro Boston Housing Partnership is now Metro Housing|Boston
• Barnstable County Sheriffs Get OK to Enforce Immigration Laws
• MassHealth Registration Requirement- What ALL LICSWs in MA Must Do
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Bridge Clinic Now Open 7 Days
• West End Clinic Walk-In Hours
• New Cambridge Monthly Free Immigration Clinic
• Miracle Messages Seeks to Connect Homeless People with Lost Family, Friends
• Mass Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Services Differ from Those Offered by the Commission for the Blind
• South Boston Snow Angels to Help Shovel out Neighbors’ Homes in New Program
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Ending Provisional Income Eligibility
• Of Clinical Interest
• Hospitals Often Ill-Prepared to Care for Patients with Dementia

 

November 2017

• Able Bodied Adults without Dependents May be Eligible for a Fresh 3 Months of SNAP Benefits
• SNAP Advocacy- Foster Care, Adult and Child Dependent Care
• SNAP Reminder- Replacement Benefits Due to Natural Disaster or Household Misfortune Including Power Outages, Appliance Failure and Fire
• SNAP- MA Tries to Enroll More Seniors with New Holyoke Unit and Outreach
• RAFT Veto Overridden
• Reminder- Veterans’ Benefits and Services
• Three Conditions Added to SSA Compassionate Allowances List
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti extended for 18 months Then Terminated
• New Home Care Workers Registry Raises Privacy and Safety Concerns
• Disability Disclosure and Self-Identification- What’s the Difference?
• Earned Income Tax Credit- Now an Option for Those Who Have Left their Abusers
• New Mass. Law Cracks Down on Handicapped Parking Abuse
• Scam Victims May Claim Against Western Union
• Program & Resource Highlights
• CancerandCareers.org
• Transportation to Boston- NH and ME Medicaid
• Boston Opens Day Center for Drug Users
• Boston Launches Office of Returning Citizens for Those Previously Incarcerated
• CVS Plans to Launch Same-Day Delivery in Boston
• Planning Guides for LGBT Caregivers
• Year Up Offers Job Training for Low-Income and Under-Served
• Health Care Coverage
• MLRI Flyers Explain ConnectorCare and NonGroup Open Enrollment and Coverage
• MassHealth ACO- Updates and Outreach, Including Partners Handouts
• Medicare Reminder- Medicare D Has No Caps on Out of Pocket Spending
• Why So Many People Choose the Wrong Health Plans
• Balance Billing by Health Care Providers: Assessing Consumer Protections Across States
• For Millions of Insured Americans, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
• MassHealth Provider Self-Service Resources- Including Online PT-1
• Policy & Social Issues
• Republican Tax Plan Trojan Horse
• MBTA Plan to Go Cashless May Leave Low-Income and Elderly Stranded
• Law Enforcement Violence as a Public Health Issue
• Unnatural Disaster- Seniors Hit Hardest in Floods and Fires
• Of Clinical Interest
• Study Names Top Apps for Patients to Manage Illnesses

 

October 2017

• Fuel Assistance Applications Accepted November 1; Winter Moratorium Starts November 15
• ACA Open Enrollment - Reminder and Clarification
• Information and Resources for Hurricane Evacuees
• Auditor Finds Many Veterans Unaware of MA Benefits
• Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Language Access Settlement
• Federal Probe Found Lapses at Psychiatric Hospitals
• Boston Offers Incentives to Encourage Landlords to Accept Homeless Tenants
• Educational Rights of Homeless Students- New Flyer and Brochure
• Housing- Is My Intellectually Disabled Child Likely to be Entitled to a State-Funded Group Home?
• Program & Resource Highlights
• John Jeffries House Closing for Renovations
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare- Appealing an Income-Related Higher Part B or Part D Premium
• Medicare Observation Status- Patient Rights
• Medicare Reminder- Disputing a Bill
• Equitable Relief Period Extended for Medicare Recipients Enrolled in Marketplace Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
• Trump’s ACA Sabotage Part 1 - Association Health Plans and Short-Term Health Plans
• Trump’s ACA Sabotage Part 2 - Scrap Critical Subsidies
• State Reverses Course, Sets Higher Health Insurance Rates for 2018- Shop for Cheaper Options
• State Seeks to Reassure Adult Day Health Centers
• ICE Under Pressure Over Alleged Violation of Policies on Sensitive Locations
• 10 Percent Revived by Narcan in Mass. Died Within Year
• As Population Ages, Need for Home Health Aides Increases
• Undertaker Asks Lawmakers: Who’s Responsible for Unclaimed Dead?
• Healey Slams Loan Forgiveness Change

 

September 2017

• Trump Administration Drastically Cuts ACA Enrollment Period, Outreach and Assistance
• SNAP Cost of Living Adjustments - Good and Bad News
• OBRA/PASRR Preadmission Screens for Mental Illness- New Information
• Trump Ends DACA –Those Expiring Before March 5, 2018 Can Renew by October 5
• Trump Administration Expands Travel Ban Beyond Muslim-Majority Countries
• ICE Raids Specifically Target Sanctuary Communities
• Casper Funeral Home Accused of Storing Bodies in Unlicensed Garage
• The Ride is Still Having Service Problems
• DTA Clients with Security Concerns Can Block DTA Online and Automated Systems
• Humane Care Given a Place at Bridgewater State Hospital
• Program & Resource Highlights
• AskHarry.info- Ask an Elder Law Attorney
• Division for Children & Youth with Special Health Needs Community Support Line
• New PAIR Initiative to Support Boston Residents in Recovery with Personal Grants
• Find Out if Your Boston Apartment has a History of Problems and What To Do if it Does
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Open Enrollment
• Medicare Rules Waived for those Impacted by Hurricanes
• CMS Publishes Webpage on Overturn of Medicare Therapy “Improvement Standard”
• Policy & Social Issues
• Amid Opioid Crisis Insurers Restrict Pricey Less Addictive Painkillers
• Court Rules Against States Effort to End Motels as Shelter
• Nursing Home Leaders Plead with State for Help

 

August 2017

• MA CARE Act Coming Soon- Hospitals to Communicate with Patient-Designated Caregivers
• OBRA/PASRR Preadmission Screens for Mental Illness- New Administering Agency and Processes
• MassHealth Loosens PT-1 Locality Restrictions
• Boston Elder Info Centralized Aging Services Access Point Referral for Boston- Referral Form Available
• TAFDC Annual Clothing Allowance Available to Some Not Regularly Eligible for Benefits
• Children Receiving Certain Aid Should Automatically Get Free School Meals
• DTA Policy Guidance Qualifies More Low-Income College Students for SNAP
• Cambridge Middle-Income Housing Rental Program Waitlist Lottery
• State Halts Admissions at Recovery Centers of America’s Danvers Drug Treatment Center
• State Permanently Closes Westwood Lodge
• Service at the T’s Ride Improving but Still Lagging
• Can I Keep the Last Social Security Benefit Payment When a Beneficiary Dies?
• Income Exempt from Debt-Collection
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Boston Addiction Support Walk-In Clinic Increases Hours
• Next Step- Support for Teens and Young Adults with Life-Threatening Illnesses
• EBT Card Holders Now Eligible for Free or Reduced Admissions at 100+ Museums and Cultural Venues
• Gateway Arts- Helps Young People with Disabilities Transition from School to Work in the Arts
• Health Care Coverage
• New Updated Version of the MassHealth DME-OXY Payment & Coverage Guideline Tool
• Only Half of Eligible Beneficiaries are Receiving Help with Medicare Part B Costs
• Medicare Reminder- Emergency Services Coverage
• Medicare Reminder- Understanding Extra Help Notices
• Using a Prepaid Funeral Contract to Spend Down Assets for Medicaid
• Policy & Social Issues
• Nationwide Class Certified in Medicare Observation Status Case
• Patients Pressured to Take Brand-Name Drugs at Higher Out-of-Pocket Cost
• State Sees Boom in Number of Psychiatric Beds, But Staffing is Problematic
• Of Clinical Interest
• Caregiving Is Hard Enough, Isolation Can Make It Unbearable

 

 

July 2017

• MA Pregnant Workers Protection Law
• Assisting with Applications - Forms to Allow DTA to Speak with Advocates
• How to Help DTA Clients with Disabilities - Rights under the ADA
• Arbour Health System - Families Trusted This Chain to Care for Their Relatives; It Systematically Failed Them
• National Institute on Aging Offers Questions to Ask Your Doctor When Starting New Medications
• Some Seeking Help for Opioid Abuse Receiving Shoddy Treatment and Unwittingly Involved in Insurance Fraud
• Youth on Fire Services for Homeless Youth- Program Set to Close
• Civilly Committed Substance Use Disorder Patients Sue to Move Out of Sex Offender Facility
• Program Highlights
• Sixth Annual Back to School Celebration – Free Back-Packs and School Supplies
• Home Base Program Will Start Serving Vietnam Veterans
• Chelsea Hub Coalition Aims to Save Lives on Verge of Unraveling
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Paper PT-1 Form Being Phased Out
• Medicare Reminder- When to Take Medicare if You Have Marketplace Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
• ACA Repeal Collapses - For Now
• SNAP Reduces Health Care Costs for Older Adults
• Many of States Elderly Residents Struggle to Pay Their Bills
• MA Community First Olmstead Plan Development & Public Comment
• Opinion: Why More Jobs and Degrees Won’t Reduce Poverty
• GOP Federal Budget Seeks Major Cuts in Public Benefits
• Here’s How a Key Part of the Opioid Legislation is Not Working
• Despite Doomsday Rhetoric, Obamacare Markets are Stabilizing
• MA Court Ruling Gives Legal Cover to Sanctuary Cities
• Courts Reverse Trump Administration’s Narrow Definition of Family in Travel Ban
• Health & Wellness
• Urban Heat Islands Are Hotbeds for Health Problems

 

June 2017

• The Ride On-Demand Pilot- New Details and Handouts
• Complaints Rising at The Ride After New Call Center Opens
• Deaf Patients Struggle to Get Interpreters in Medical Emergencies
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program Will Continue For Now
• Durable Powers of Attorney Podcast- Your Questions Answered
• New Bedford Police Chief Announces Addiction Drop-In Center & Proposes Criminal Justice Diversion Plan
• Cambridge Housing Authority Elderly & Disabled Site Based Waitlist Lottery
• Program & Resource Highlights
• SNAP Application Assistance - Catholic Charities
• NeighborGood - Volunteer Help for Home Help & Companionship
• Find Nearby Summer Meals Sites for Kids
• Employment Resources for People with Disabilities
• Day Shelter to Target Problems on “Methadone Mile”
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder - Enrollment Periods
• Medicaid Benefits in Other States
• Policy & Social Issues
• Gov. Baker Offers Plan to Overhaul State's Medicaid Program
• Leaked Executive Order Would Include Health Care and Other Non-Cash Benefits for “Public Charge” Risk
• House, Baker, And Now Senate On Record For Pregnant Workers Bill
• What the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Trump’s Travel Ban Means
• ICE Courthouse Arrests Worry Attorneys and Prosecutors
• Trump Budget Proposes Benefit Cut for Multi-Recipient SSI Families and SNAP Cuts
• Rapists Can Still Assert Parental Rights Through Legal Loophole
• Corporate Rentals are Complicating Boston’s Housing Market
• G.O.P. Health Plan Is Really a Rollback of Medicaid
• Opinion- Why Access to Health Care is a National Security Issue

 

May 2017

• ABLE Accounts Launching- New Way to Protect Assets and Benefits Eligibility
• What Do I Do If an ICE Agent Comes Looking for a Patient or Patient Information?
• SSA to Reopen Spousal and Survivors Benefits Claims Denied to Same-Sex Married Couples because of Marriage Bans
• DTA Announces Standardized Local DTA Office Hours
• SNAP Application Next Steps Flyer- What Happens After the Initial App
• CMS Backtracks on Nursing Home Arbitration Prohibition
• New Fact-Sheets on Revised Federal Nursing Facility Regulations
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Boston’s Office of Housing Stability Makes a Difference, One Tenant at a Time
• Find It Cambridge -  Resources for Children, Youth and Families
• State Closing Only Cape Cod Domestic Violence Shelter
• One of Only Two MA Youth Detoxification and Stabilization Stops Serving Young Teens
• Know Your Rights Training for Immigrants in Lynn
• Policy & Social Issues
• Disabled Homeless Girl is at Center of Fight Over Family Shelter
• Common Application Sought for Public Benefit Applicants
• Mass. House Backs Accommodations For Pregnant Workers
• Lawmaker Seeks Custody Protections for Disabled Parents
• AG Settles with Reverse Mortgage Broker Accused of Misleading Elders
• Business Groups Fight Bill Mandating up to 30 days of Addiction Treatment
• What’s in Trump’s Budget 
• Focus On Infants During Childbirth Leaves U.S. Moms In Danger
• Of Clinical Interest
• Caring for Patients With Service Dogs

 

April 2017

• SSI Applications Now Online and Expanded LEP Services- But Phone or In-Person Application Still Recommended
• SSI Recipients May be Receiving Reduced State Supplement Payments in Error
• Heat & Eat (Helps Fuel Assist Households Get Higher SNAP Benefit) Moves to Twice Monthly Reporting
• Hope Lodge Will Require Caregiver Unless Exempted
• Immigrants Too Afraid to Seek Critical Help from Food Pantries, Domestic Violence Resources
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Protecting Assets and Child Custody in the Face of Deportation- Online Manual
• SNF Residents’ Rights Fact-Sheets
• Exceptional Lives Resource Directory
• Health Care Coverage
• Audit Finds $193M in Double-Payments from MassHealth for Behavioral Health
• Reasons to Use a Lawyer for MassHealth Planning
• Policy & Social Issues
• MBTA Approves Budget - Avoids Major Cuts to The Ride for Now
• Disability Abuse Registry Proposed
• Bill to Curtail Modern-Day Debtor’s Prison
• Innovative Community Approach to Dementia Care in Netherlands
• Lawmaker’s Childhood Experience Drives New Mexico's Lunch Shaming Ban
• Lawmakers Want Hearing Aids to be Easier to Get
• Diaper Subsidy Proposed
• Pretending Your Pet is a Service Animal Could Soon be Illegal
• Wisconsin Seeks to Mandate Drug Tests for Medicaid Recipients
• Kentucky’s Medicaid Reform Proposes Cuts and Changes to Promote “Personal Responsibility”
• Health & Wellness
• Harnessing the Upsides of Stress

 

March 2017

• New SSI and SSDI Regs- Acceptable Medical Sources
• Fuel Assistance Application Deadline Extended
• ICE Arrests Green Card Applicants In Lawrence, Signaling Shift In Priorities
• SNAP Healthy Incentives Program Starts April 1
• Cuts to The RIDE Service Area Proposed - on Hold, But Still on Table
• Phone Scam Warning- SSA Office of Inspector General Imposters
• MA Education Department Plans Expansion of Early College Programs
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Camp Sunshine- Free Family Retreat for Eligible Pedi Patients
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Members Terminated Without Notice Will be Temporarily Reinstated
• Baker Admin Seeks Medicaid Flexibility- Including Eliminating PT-1 for CarePlus Members
• VA Will Start Offering Mental Health Services to Vets Not Honorably Discharged
• Medicare Reminder- Medical Nutritional Therapy
• Medicare Reminder- What's a Grievance
• Policy & Social Issues
• Opioid Crisis Strains Mass Foster-Care System
• A Depleted State System Fails Many with Serious Mental Illness
• Ex-Offenders Are Still Having Trouble Getting Jobs
• New Rules for Long-Term Care Insurance Would Not Cap Rate Hikes
• The Poor Fare Better in Mass Even Though Inequality Abounds
• Most Transgender Renters Face Discrimination
• Globe Supports Access to Family Shelter without Need to Sleep in Place Not Meant for Human Habitation
• Affordable Care Act Remains ‘Law of the Land,’ but Trump Vows to Explode It
• Trump’s Budget Called “War Against Poor”

 

February 2017

• MBTA Expands Uber Pilot to All Ride Users
• Special Supplement: Heightened Immigration Enforcement and Resources - The Undocumented -“They’re all Targets Now”
• DRAFT Executive Order Would Further Limit LEGAL Immigrant Access to Benefits
• Winter Moratorium Extended Through March
• Lack of Transparency in Funeral Costs
• New Interactive MGH Map
• Tax Preparation Assistance
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Mass Legal Answers Online
• Health Care Coverage
• New Asset Limit for MassHealth Home and Community Based Services Waiver 
• MassHealth Provider Automated Voice Response Member Eligibility System Sunsetting
• Changes and Proposed Changes to the ACA
• New Medicare Alternative Payment Models Beneficiary Ombudsman
• New Fact Sheet- Medicare Part D 2017 Transition Rights
• Policy & Social Issues
• Bay State Seniors Struggle to Get By
• Life on a High-Deductible Health Plan
• The Facts About Social Security & Medicare May Surprise You
• Trump Administration Rescinds Obama Rule On Transgender Students' Bathroom Use
• Homeless Families Turn To Emergency Rooms For Shelter
• Opinion: Medicaid Caps and Block Grants- Rationing Care for People with Low Income
• Of Clinical Interest
• Caring For Immigrant Patients When The Rules Can Shift Any Time
• Even in Mass Transgender People Say They Face Hostility in Medical Care
• LGBTQ Immigrants and Intersectionality in the US

 

January 2017

• Trump Administration Announces New Immigration Enforcement Priorities
• 2017 Brings Changes to Full Retirement Age
• SNAP Time Limit Waived in High Unemployment Areas of MA and Advocacy Tips
• SNAP Wage Match Lawsuit Settlement - First Round of Retroactive SNAP
• DTA Calls Going to Incorrect Client Phone Numbers
• Clients Can Now Use DTA Connect to Send Documents to DTA
• Reminder- DTA Language Access Rights
• Social Security Launches Representative Payee Training Program
• Discounted MBTA Pass for Low-Income Boston Area Youth/Young Adults
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers That Allow Immigrants without SSNs to File Taxes Now Expire
• Gov Baker Signs Anti-Discrimination Organ Transplant Bill
• Naturopaths Get Their Own Licensing Board
• Spaulding’s North End Nursing Home to Remain Open
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Furnishing Hope- Cambridge Nonprofit Helps Families in Need Make a Home
• HelpPRO Therapy Finder
• The Autism Insurance Resource Center
• Health Care Coverage
• ConnectorCare Extends Special Enrollment Period Through February
• Health Connector- Enrollment Bill Mailing Issue, Payment Deadline Extended
• CMS Acts to Improve Durable Medical Equipment Access for Dual Eligibles
• Policy & Social Issues
• Elders’ Social Security Checks Garnished for Student Loan Debt Leaves Many Below Poverty Level
• Globe Editorial Calls for Mandated Treatment for the Mentally Ill
• Long-Term Care Insurance Policies Fading Away
• Personal Care Attendants Have Less Training and Checks Than Other Home Care Workers
• Racial Disparities in Addiction Treatment and the Criminal Justice System
• Shortage of Pedi Homecare Nurses
• The New Administration- A Look at the Issues
• Affordable Care Act Repeal
• Health Insurance Through Your Employer? ACA Repeal Will Affect You, Too
• Injunction Limits Health Care Protections for Transgender Individuals; Other Protections at Risk
• Free-Market Health Care Plans- Analysis
• Medicaid Block Grant Would Slash Federal Funding Shift Costs to States and Leave Millions More Uninsured
• Social Security Threatened

 

2016 Newsletters

December 2016

• Baker Slashes Budget
• Baker Administration Accused of Denying Shelter to Homeless Mothers
• Bias-Incident Hotline- For Witnesses Too and Multi-Language Flyers
• Changes to Education Transportation for Homeless Children - McKinney-Vento Act
• Get Utilities Turned On at a New Address with Outstanding Bills - Cromwell Waivers
• Massachusetts CARE Act Becomes Law
• New Fact Sheet- Recently Revised Nursing Home Regulations
• One-Time Special Enrollment Period for those Who Did Not Take Medicare B Thinking They Could Get Marketplace Subsidy
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Winter Jackets for Kids in Need- Samaritan Steps
• Boston Cancer Support Offers Transportation via Lyft
• Crowd-Lending Agency - Axuda
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Accountable Care Organization Pilot Regulations
• MassHealth Cost Control Initiatives May Snare Some in Their Net
• MassHealth Managed Care - First Fixed Enrollment Period Begins Jan 1, 2017
• Policy & Social Issues
• Hospital Observation Status- Impact on Patients
• San Antonio as Model of Mental Health Care
• 21st Century Cures Act - Analysis
• $15 Minimum Wage Could Squeeze Workers on Public Assistance
• How to Persuade the Public to Care About Other People's Problems
• Data on Boston Evictions Lacking
• The New Political Environment- A Look at the Issues
• Medicare is Not Going Bankrupt
• New Brief Finds 30 Million Would Lose Coverage under Past ACA Repeal Plan

 

November 2016

• Advice for Immigrants After the Election
• New State Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline
• Benefits Review: SNAP for Disabled Young Adults Living at Home
• Residents of Substance Abuse Facilities Can Be Eligible for SNAP
• Consumer Alert- Utilities Call Scam
• Campaign Aims to Curb Elder Isolation
• New Law Preserves Evidence for Rape and Sexual Assault Kits
• State Orders Nursing Homes to Stock Narcan, Train Staff
• Benefits Reminder: The Difference Between SSI and SSDI
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Free Wage Theft Clinic
• Legal Help for Transgender People Updating Legal Name and Gender Markers
• CityPsych Wellness Resource Guides- For Staff Reference
• Hoarding Intervention- One Boston Advocate has Pioneered a Humane Approach
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth PCA Overtime Rules Modified- Now 50 Hour Limit
• Massive Change Coming to MassHealth
• Medicare Reminder- Medigap Policies
• Opinion- Patients Must Be Protected from Surprise Billing
• Policy & Social Issues
• Reverse Audit- Bump Wants to Investigate Barriers to Public Assistance
• RAFT Saved State More Than $22M
• Scores of Indebted Become Fine-Time Inmates
• National Institutes of Health formally Recognizes Sexual and Gender Minorities as a Health Disparity Population
• Commentary- Ushering-In the New Era of Health Equity
• Commentary- Immigrant Exploitation and Resources

 

October 2016

• Voting - Last Minute Voting, Early Voting and Accessibility
• Fuel Assistance Season Begins Nov 1
• Health Connector Open Enrollment Starts Nov 1- Note Big Price Increases
• Funding Restored to Elder Home Care Services Ending Wait List
• HUD Expands Housing Protections for Survivors of Domestic Violence
• MassHealth PCA Overtime Update
• Nursing Home Regulations Revised
• CMS Protects Nursing Home Residents Right to a Jury Trial
• SNAP Wage Match Errors - Recipients May Get Back Benefits or Reapply
• SNAP Advocacy When Phones are Jammed and Streamlining Verifications
• Foreclosed Homeowners Can Fight Foreclosure But Must File Form By End of 2016
• DMH Statewide Young Adult Council Meeting Nov 15
• Housing Models for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Who Are Not in State-Supported Housing
• MassHealth Planning and the Home
• Auditor Found Evidence of Pest and Human Waste at Chelsea Soldiers Home
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Boston Office of Housing Stability Anti-Displacement Efforts and Services
• Camp Sunshine- Year Round Retreat for Families of Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses
• MBHP’s Center for Hoarding Intervention
• Thanksgiving Meal Baskets
• Two Programs From St. Anthony Shrine - Homeless Women’s Clinic and Ministry for Grieving Parents
• Health Care Coverage
• Neighborhood Health Plan Changes and Impact on PHS Patients
• Health Savings Accounts and Medicare
• Medicare Reminder: Medicare Part D Late Enrollment Penalties
• Medicare Reminder: Medicare D Extra Help
• Policy & Social Issues
• Boston's Average Apartment Rent is the Third-Highest in the U.S.
• Medicare Unveils Far-Reaching Overhaul of Doctors’ Pay
• MassHealth Incentivizes Hospital Accessibility Efforts
• Drug Coupons- Helping a Few at the Expense of Everyone
• Of Clinical Interest
• Helping Elders Come to Terms with Spending Savings on Care
• Overcoming Lower-Income Patients’ Concerns About Trust And Respect From Providers

 

September 2016

• MBTA Launch RIDE Pilot Program with Uber and Lyft
• RAFT Pilots Eligibility Expansion to Those Without Children
• 311 Now Connects Bostonians with Addiction Recovery Services
• SNAP Cost of Living Changes Effective October 1st - Mixed Impact Expected
• FAQs for Power of Attorney Agents
• DTA to Open Quincy Office on Oct 3
• Final Head Start Rules for Homeless Families Announced
• Housing Panel Shares Advocacy Tips
• Homeless Families Being Moved from Hotels
• Voting - Absentee Ballots, Early Voting and Last Minute Voting
• Lipodystrophy Treatment Coverage is Now Law
• Program & Resource Highlights
• HairToStay- Scalp Cooling Subsidy
• SAGE Launches LGBT Age-Friendly Housing Website
• Welcome Family - Free Newborn Home Visit
• Yad Chessed - Emergency Assistance for Jewish Families
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Managed Care Organization (MCO) Lock-In and Primary Care Clinician (PCC) New Referral Requirements
• CMS Announces Notice for People with Marketplace Coverage and Medicare
• Medicare Reminder - Medicare D Drug Coverage
• Medicare Reminder - Part B Late Enrollment Penalties
• Policy & Social Issues
• Much Higher Premiums Tied to Plan Choices Even for the Very Poor

 

August 2016

• RAFT Homelessness Prevention Funds Pilot Expansion to Those Without Children
• September TAFDC Clothing Allowance Now $250, Some Usually Over-Income for TAFDC May Qualify
• State to Begin Elder Home Care Wait List on Sept 1
• ABLE Accounts are Open for Business - Protecting Benefits Eligibility When Giving or Saving Assets
• DTA Contact Lists- ADA and DV Specialists
• New Law Says Uber, Lyft Must Be Accessible to All
• PCA Overtime Rules- Limited Non-Emergency Exceptions
• Child Advocate Says DCF Bursting at Seams
• Program & Resource Highlights
• On Belay- Adventure Course for Children Who Love Someone with Cancer
• MBA Opens Doors Foundation- Rent or Mortgage Assistance for Families of Ill Children
• OneGift Closes
• First Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Boston
• Needle Exchange to Open in Gloucester
• Parenting Support and Resource Website - One Tough Job
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicaid Managed Care Must Cover Hep C Treatment
• Medicare Reminder - Coverage of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Treatment
• Coverage for Chronic Lyme Disease Now Law
• Policy & Social Issues
• Myths About Patient Privacy
• MA Legislature Passes Anti-Bullying in Subsidized Housing Bill
• Homeless Families Being Relocated from Motels Concerned for Start of School Year
• Gov. Baker Signs Equal Pay Law
• How Social Service Programs Fared Under the FY 17 State Budget

 

July 2016

• Budget Vetoes and Overrides - Including Increase in TAFDC Clothing Allowance
• Transgender Anti-Discrimination Bill Now State Law
• HHS Issues Guidance on Facility Residents’ Return to Community Living
• Brockton Nursing Home Ordered to Stop Accepting Patients
• Scathing Report Details Failings at Group Homes
• Education Rights of Homeless Children Changes and College Aid for Homeless Unaccompanied Young Adults
• Program & Resource Highlights
• New Boxborough Rental Assistance Program
• Medicare Eligibility Roadmap
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder: Does Medicare Cover Diabetes Supplies?
• MassHealth Imposing Asset Limit on Community Spouse of Frail Elder Waiver Applicants (and Some Recipients) in Fall
• MassHealth PCA Overtime Rules Tighten
• MassHealth  New Medical Necessity Form Required for Certain Non-Emergent Transportation (NOT for PT-1s)
• MassHealth Managed Care Lock-In Proposed for October 1
• Disputed Audit Finds Millions Wasted On Double Services For Disabled Adults
• Health Connector to Eliminate Addiction Co-Pays
• Policy & Social Issues
• Social Spending Not Medical Spending Could Be Key to Health
• Housing is Seen as Missing Link in Opioid Crisis
• States Offer Privacy Protection For Young Adults On Parents’ Health Plan
• Of Clinical Interest
  • No Room For Prevention- The Unintended Consequence Of Mental Health Stigma Reduction Efforts

 

June 2016

• Health Safety Net Cuts Not Reversed
• Disabled Veterans Exempt from SNAP Time Limit & Additional SNAP Advocacy Help
• Long-Term Care Coverage for Veterans
• Massachusetts Senate Expands Veterans Benefits and Protections
• MBTA Fares Increasing- Including The RIDE
• The Right to an Interpreter in All Agencies with Federal Funding
• Undocumented Immigrant Programs Blocked by Supreme Court
• Possible Loophole to Send Women on Sec 35 Commitment to MCI Framingham Again
• Baker Reverses Patrick Policy - State Police Can Detain Immigrant Suspects at ICE Request
• State of the State Budget
• Program & Resource Highlights
• Physical Activity and Recreational Resource Guide for Children with Special Needs
• SAMHSA Issues Mental Health Parity Fact Sheet
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder: What is a Benefit Period?
• Student Health Insurance Program Update
• Editorial: MassHealth Reform Must Make Behavioral Health a Priority
• Editorial: Proceed with Caution on Drug Copay Discounts
• Policy & Social Issues
• Globe Spotlight Team - Closing Psychiatric Hospitals Seemed Humane, but the State Failed to Build a System to Replace Them
• Commentary- GOP Health Care Plan Cuts Coverage for Millions and Ends Protections for People with Pre-Existing Conditions
• New Regulation Prohibits Discrimination in Health Care
• Post-Detox Treatment in Short Supply
• Knock and Talk Program in Salem to Take Aim at Heroin Crisis
• Health & Wellness
• Health Tip - Stroke Symptoms Specific to Women
• Of Clinical Interest
• Patterns of Response in Parents of Children With Cancer
• Targeted Psychotherapy Effectively Treats Complicated Grief
• Therapists Often Discriminate Against Black and Poor Patients

 

May 2016

• HSN Cuts Update and HSN Expiring for those Eligible for ConnectorCare Who Fail to Enroll
• Updates to DTA Telephone Assistance Line
• DTA eNotifications - Pros and Cons
• Free School Meals, Kinship Care and Direct Certification
• New CMS Requirements Make it Harder to Qualify for a Special Enrollment Period Due to Moving
• Big Win For Married LGBT SSI Recipients
• Boston to Cover Community College Tuition for BPS Students
• Department of Education to Forgive Student Loan Debt for Thousands of People with Disabilities
• Partial Citizenship Fee Waiver Announced
• Good Samaritan Law Protects Those Reporting Overdoses
• Program Highlights
• Andrew Holdgate Fund- Transportation Assist from the Islands
• Kirkpatrick House to Open - New McInnis House Step-Down Unit
• Little-Known Social Security Benefit for Parents of Disabled Children Including Adults Disabled as Children
• Rosie’s Place – More than Just Shelter
• Healthcare Coverage
• MassHealth Renewals Update
• Medicare Reminder - Medicare Advantage Plans and the Differences Between HMOs and PPOs
• Policy & Social Issues
• Number of Homeless Families in State-Funded Motels Drops
• Seniors Face More Foreclosures as Reverse Mortgages Bite Back
• Homeless ER Visits put Strain on the System
• Little Oversight for Marijuana Delivery Services
• The Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care Launches
• US Facing Two Opioid Epidemics – Heroin and Pain Pills
• Opinion - How Legal Ethics Rules Put Legal Services Out of Reach
• Commentary- A State Budget That Makes Life Worse for Poor Kids
• Of Clinical Interest
• Undetected ADHD May Explain Poor SSRI Response in Depression
• Hospital Discharge- One of the Most Dangerous Times for Patients
• Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in United States

 

April 2016

• Health Safety Net Proposed Cuts Delayed Until June 1
• FCC Approves Broadband Subsidy for Low-Income Households
• State Hires 19 New Nursing Home Inspectors
• Sober Homes Certification Update
• SNAP - My Account Page and New Voice Mail Prompts and Reminders
• Temporary Protected Status Extended for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
• Social Security Reminder- How We Review Your Disability Benefits
• State Program Could Lower Cost Of College For Mass Students
• Guide- Considerations for Older LGBT Couples Before Getting Married
• Scammers Offering to Help with Disability Applications
• Woodbriar Investigation Closed Though Records May Have Been Falsified
• Program Highlights
• AccessSports America - Personal Training for People with Disabilities
• Community Living Options - Private-Pay Case Management Program of Somerville Cambridge Elder Services
• Goodwill’s First Step Employment Initiative
• Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket Transportation Access Program
• Health Care Coverage
• Overhaul Planned for MassHealth Insurance Model
• CMS Proposes New Ways to Pay for Medicare Part B Covered Medications
• Policy & Social Issues
• For Parents of Autistic Kids 22nd Birthday Often Arrives with Dread
• Pay Raise Sought for Nursing Home Workers
• Participants in Massachusetts Drug Courts are Overwhelmingly White
• Assisted Living Facilities Push to Add Medical Services
• US Suicide Rate Surges to a 30 Year High
• Health & Wellness
• Commentary: Artificial Sweeteners- A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
• Of Clinical Interest
• Mindfulness Therapy Effective for PTSD, Substance Abuse
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Effective for Depression, Anxiety, Eating Disorders
• Most Doctors Ill-Equipped to Talk About End-Of-Life Care

 

March 2016

• Fuel Assistance - New Immigration Requirements and Extended Deadline
• SNAP ABAWD Time Limit Hits First Wave in April, and Advocacy Tips for Part-Time Workers
• To Keep Health Care Subsidies Residents Must File Federal Tax Returns
• Expedited Social Security Disability for Certain Veterans
• Arbour Health System Mental Health Hospitals Targeted in Federal Probe
• Woodbriar Nursing Home Residents in “Immediate Jeopardy”; State Blocks New Admits
• Free Pharmacy Discount Cards - Cost Relief or a Scam?
• New Law Eliminates License Suspension for Many Drug Crimes
• Cancer Fund of America Declared Sham and Ordered to Dissolve
• Theft of Client Funds from Mental Health Center Due to Inadequate Oversight and Protections
• Program Highlights
• MGH Down Syndrome Program
• Healthcare Transportation Resources website
• Senior Medicare Patrol - Fielding Medicare Fraud and Abuse Complaints
• Riverside Community Care’s Day Treatment Program Closes - Several Close in Recent Years
• Health Care Coverage
• New MassHealth Prior Authorization (PA) Policy for Home Health Services and Required VNA Referral to ASAPs
• New MassHealth High-Dose Opioid and Methadone Prior Authorization Requirements
• Medicare Reminder- Appealing a Drug Denial
• Bogus Health Connector Websites
• Analysis of Proposed Health Safety Net (HSN) Cuts
• Governor Baker Seeks to Expand Estate Recovery
• Policy & Social Issues
• IOM Panel Calls for Training in Social Determinants of Health
• Even with Insurance Mass  Residents Often Can’t Afford Care
• Hospitals Rattled by Drug Price Increases
• Mass. Small Business Owners Dropping Health Coverage That’s Become Unaffordable
• Opioid Epidemic
• Gov Signs Opioid Bill
• CDC Painkiller Guidelines Aim to Reduce Addiction Risk
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Through Music Memories Return

 

February 2016

• CMS Now Provides Star Ratings for Home Health Care Agencies
• SNAP Work Requirement Time-Limit- Community Service Reporting Form
• Female Addicts Given an Alternative to Prison
• First Sober Homes Certified
• Health Safety Net Restrictions Effective April 1st
• State Officials Move to Tighten Oversight of Nursing Homes
• State Auditor Flags 1100 Welfare Fraud Cases
• Wellness Guide for Cancer Survivors
• Consumer Caution - Solar Panels Have Benefits But Also Risks
• Health Insurance and 2015 Taxes - A Quick Guide
• Program Highlights
• Actively Moving Forward- Support for College Students Grieving the Illness or Loss of a Loved One
• Notarize- Remote Notary App for iPhone
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder - When to Sign Up for Part B If Covered By Employer Insurance
• Medicare Reminder - Medicare Advantage and Part D Mid-Year Changes
• Of Clinical Interest
• Clinical Blind Spot for Civilian PTSD
• Older Drivers - Having “The Talk” and Self-Assessment

 

January 2016

• SNAP Work Requirement/Time-Limit - New Homeless Exemption Form
• SNAP Gross Income Test Now Same for All Households
• Social Security Rep Payee Fact Sheet
• Utility Shut-Off Winter Moratorium Extended to April 1
• Immigration Raids Preparation - “Know Your Rights” Materials
• New Certification for Sober Homes
• Mayor Walsh Announces New Office of Housing Stability
• Boston Homeless Shelter Winter Overflow Plan
• Program Highlights
• The Dinner Party - Peer Support for Young Adults After Loss
• Y2Y Harvard Square - Shelter and Services for Homeless Youth
• Free Tax Preparation and Asset Building Services
• Health Care Coverage
• Some Seniors Will Be Disqualified from ConnectorCare Because Their Income is Too Low
• MassHealth Quarterly Wage Match - Failure to Respond Will Lead to Termination
• Medicare D Plan Transition Coverage Rights Fact Sheet
• Medicare Reminder: Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period
• Medicare Reminder: Transitioning from Marketplace Coverage (Like ConnectorCare)
• Medicare Reminder: Medicare Advantage HMOs vs. Original Medicare
• Policy & Social Issues
• Lawyers Seek More Legal Aid Funding
• Health Policy Commission to Tackle Hospital Pricing Disparities
• Obama Gun Regs Ease Mental Health Reporting to FBI
• More Died in MA by Suicide than Car Crashes and Homicides Combined
• Incarceration Trends in Massachusetts
• Health & Wellness
• Lumosity Settles FTC Charges of Unfounded Claims
• Of Clinical Interest
• $5 Insanity - a New Drug of Abuse
• Treating Addicts: The Tension Between Drug Treatment and Abstinence

 

2015 Newsletters

December 2015

• SNAP Work Requirement and Time Limit Update
• Chelsea Revere Winthrop (CRW) Elder Services is Now Part of Mystic Valley Elder Services
• PCA and Employment FAQ
• Department of Mental Health Area Office Consolidation
• Mass. Sets New Rules for Nursing Home Closures and Sales
• ABLE Act Closer to Becoming a Reality
• Trauma Teams Reach Out to Crime-Riddled Neighborhoods
• Baker Adding More Beds for Addiction Treatment
• Debt-Collection Practices and Consumer’s Rights
• Program Highlights
• Room to Breathe - Education And Material Support for Those with Chronic Respiratory Illnesses
• Medically Induced Trauma Support Services
• ExceptionalLives Website
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth and Commercial Insurance Cannot Require Prior Authorization for Detox and Clinical Stabilization
• Medicare Reminder- Good Cause for Late Appeals
• Policy & Social Issues
• Evictions In East Boston - The Push For A 'Just Cause' Ordinance
• How America's Trying to Fix Its Broken Mental Health System
• Commentary: Muslim Immigration and Integration- Some Facts and Perspective
• More Than a Quarter of Boston Residents are Foreign Born, BRA Reports
• Health & Wellness
• Alcohol and Cancer- Drink at Your Own Risk
• Opinion: Improving End-of-Life Care
• Of Clinical Interest
• Inflammation Fans Flames of Depressive Symptoms
• Light Therapy Highly Effective for Major Depression
• The End of Hitting Rock Bottom?
• Maternal Exposure to Anti-Depressants Linked to Autism in Children

 

November 2015

• Boston Elder Protective Services - Agency Change
• Looming SNAP Cliff for Able-Bodied Adults without Children
• New Elder Services Patient Handout
• Mass to Begin Certifying Sober Homes
• The RIDE Complaints Soar as T Contemplates Rate Increase
• Computer Woes Delay Child-Care Subsidies
• DCF Ends its 2-Tier Child-Welfare Monitoring Process
• President Obama Signs Wounded Warrior Leave Bill
• Phone Scam That Impersonates Department of Public Utilities’ Phone Number
• Healey Settles with Two Student Debt Firms
• Program Highlights
• MassOptions Information and Referral Line and Website
• MassHealth Disability Accommodation Ombudsman Reminder
• School Transportation for Homeless Children through the McKinney-Vento Act
• Massachusetts Announces Mortgage Program for Veterans
• Health Care Coverage
• Health Connector Enrollment Off to a Smooth Start Officials Say
• Tip: Keep Medicare Part D After Electing Hospice
• Policy & Social Issues
• Critics Say High Deductibles Make Insurance Unaffordable
• Drastic Part B Premium and Deductible Increases Prevented
• Job Training System in Mass Falling Short
• State Auditor Report and the Impact of Housing Homeless Families in Motels
• Long Delays Plague Federal Disability System
• Of Clinical Interest
• Family Caregivers - Myths and Facts
• ADHD Drug May Improve PTSD, TBI Symptoms
• Caring for My Abuser- Childhood Maltreatment and Caregiver Depression
• Shocking Stats for Diabetes Screening in Mentally Ill

 

October 2015

• It’s Fuel Assistance Season Again
• State Agencies’ Power Outage on October 28
• New Victim Compensation Forms
• No Raise for 65 million on Social Security
• Year Since Long Island’s Closure Finds Safety Net Still Tattered
• Program Highlights
• Thanksgiving Food Baskets
•  “Cake” - End-of-life Planning App in Beta Testing
• Health Care Coverage
• Health Connector 2016 Open Enrollment Begins November 1
• MassHealth CarePlus Now Have PCC Option-  Accepted Across Partners’ Sites
• Policy & Social Issues
• Baker Opioid Proposal Would Give Hospitals the Power to Hold Addicts
• SNAP Fraud Detected; Baker: State Must Crack Down
• Homelessness Problem on Upswing in Posh Areas of Boston
• Walsh Seeks Rise in Construction Fees to Expand Housing
• Tax on So-Called Cadillac Health Plans May Impact Many
• Why It’s so Hard to Find a Mental Health Professional

 

September 2015

• LIFT Boston Offices Close
• Many Seniors to See Small SNAP Decrease in October, Plus Updates and Advocacy Tips 
• MassHealth New Ordering Requirements
• State Cites Nursing Homes for Misleading Ads on Alzheimer’s Care
• Revamped DCF Policies Will Put Kids First Gov Says
• Report- Unique Challenges Face Older Gay and Transgender Residents
• Temporary Protected Status Offered for Yemen and Extended for Haiti
• Program Highlights
• JustiServ: Price Transparency for Legal Help
• Text4baby - Connecting Moms and Babies to Health Information and Health Insurance
• Wellesley Friendly Aid
• The African Bridge Network - Job and Career Advising, Mentorship and Networking for Immigrants
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Reminder- Fall Open Enrollment Season a Time to Review Drug Plans Each Year
• Policy & Social Issues
• Baker’s Proposed EA Restrictions Concern Advocates
• Alaska Expands Medicaid under ACA
• Benefits to Children Uneven in SSI Program Study Finds
• Health Connector Sees Rate Hikes For Some, Reductions For Others
• New CMS Initiative Aims to Improve Health Equity in Medicare
• Health & Wellness
• Are Painkillers Also Killing Your Hearing?
• The Health Benefits of Volunteering
• Unhealthy Diet Linked to Brain Shrinkage, Depression

 

August 2015

• Special Supplement: Fiscal Year 2016 State Budget Highlights
• The budget matters! Learn about funding and regulation changes for programs your patients rely on.
• US Backs Retroactive Social Security Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses
• TAFDC September Clothing Allowance Now $200, and Income Limit Increases for the Month
• New Limits on Nursing Home Memory Care Ads
• Program Highlights
• Fisher House and Fisher House Foundation- Lodging and Assist for Veterans and their Families
• Assisted Living and Home Care Bridge Loans
• Cancer Connection - Support in Pioneer Valley
• Heroes Circle – Free Martial Arts Training for Seriously Ill Children and Siblings
• Online Children’s Book Helps Talk About Death of a Parent
• Substance Use Disorder Online Information and Support for Families
• Updated Guide Examines Problems in Nursing Homes and How to Resolve Them
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth Redeterminations - Progress Report & Schedule and Additional Updates
• Medicare Reminder- Qualifying for Medicare
• Medicare Reminder- DME and Oxygen Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
• Can Health Care Be Cured of Racial Bias?
• Food insecurity and High Healthcare Costs go Hand in Hand
• Is DCF Better or Worse Off Than a Year Ago?
• DCF Social Workers' Caseloads Said to be at Crisis Levels
• DCF Paperwork Backup Delays New Foster Homes
• More Scrutiny Proposed for Nursing Home Sales and Closures
• Court Revives Overtime Pay for Personal Care Attendants
• Obamacare is Not Killing Full-Time Jobs
• Worry That Airbnb Will Reduce Housing Supply
• Of Clinical Interest
• Mindfulness-Based Therapy for PTSD Trumps Usual Care
• What Makes People Gay and is Gender Dysphoria Persistent?

 

July 2015

• New Assisted Living Regulations Go Into Effect
• Boston Wins Federal OK to Change Senior Housing Formula Reserving More Units for Seniors
• VA Grants Benefits to Same Sex Couples
• Temporary Protected Status for Nepalese Nationals in US
• Program Highlights
• Moments House- Support for Cancer Patients in Berkshire County
• FamilyAid Boston - Homelessness Prevention and Family Shelter
• HotelTonight App
• New Resource Center Helps City Youth Make Career Connections
• Health Care Coverage
• 2015 MassHealth Renewals for People with Disabilities
• Connector Electronic Funds Transfer Improvements
• Medicare Reminder- Hospital Discharge Appeal Rights
• Proposed Medicare Guidelines May Encourage More Talks About End-of-Life Care
• Medicare to Pilot a Blend of Hospice Care and Treatment
• Policy & Social Issues
• New Domestic Violence Law Yielding Few Convictions
• Bills Seek More Stable Hours for Low-Paid Workers
• Family Homelessness Surges In Boston
• When It Comes to Hospital Shootings, Emergency Color Codes Don’t Work
• Health & Wellness
• Beans, Greens and the Best Foods for the Brain and Mental Health
• Exercise Provides Cognitive Benefit in Patients With AD
• Of Clinical Interest
• Two Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects

 

June 2015

• MBHP Accepting New RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) Applications - Guide for Providers and Application
• Some Same Sex Married Couples Newly Eligible for Social Security Benefits- Should Apply ASAP
• State Officials Tackling SNAP Mess with a 10-Point Plan
• Protect your SNAP benefits - Step-by-Step Instructions Including Audio Version and Translations
• DTA Implements New Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations
• Shelter for Homeless Displaced from Long Island Expands
• City Plan to Fight Homelessness Would Use Triage System
• SSI Temporarily Halts Overpayment Notices to SSI Recipients in Same Sex Marriages
• Keep Your Advance Directive Safe but Accessible
• State Lawmakers Send Governor Baker One-Month Budget Extension
• Program Highlights
• Money Follows the Person- Helping SNF and Long-Term Hospital Residents Return to the Community
• Immediate Openings at Summer House- Shared Living SNF Alternative for Boston Elders
• Male Waiting List Opening for Newton SRO
• Children with Loved Ones Fighting Cancer Find Support in Norwell group
• Human Services Employment Ladder Program (HELP)
• City Program Gives Job Opportunities to Those Needing A Second Chance
• Wish Upon a Wedding - Weddings and Vow Renewals for Couples Facing Serious Illness or Life-Altering Circumstance
• Health Care Coverage
• Health Connector Bugs Remain
• Medicare Reminder- How Do I Enroll and Avoid Penalties?
• Policy & Social Issues
• Approximately 1 Million Unemployed Childless Adults Will Lose SNAP Benefits in 2016 as State Waivers Expire
• Opioid Task Force Recommendations
• State Revises Count of Impoverished Students
• Opinion: Poor in America- It's Not All About Bad Choices
• Some Insured Patients Still Skipping Care Due to Cost
• Commonwealth Care Alliance Mental Health Respite Care Home Opens in Brighton
• Opinion: Why Too Many Health Insurance Choices Are Costing You Money
• Of Clinical Interest
• CBT Feasible, Effective for Anxiety in Dementia
• Social Anxiety? Fermented Foods May Help

 

May 2015

• MassHealth Denture Coverage Restored
• Some SSDI Recipients Cut from MassHealth in Error Due to Cost of Living Increase
• SNAP Still Erroneously Cutting Off Recipients; Retooled DTA Ombudsman Can Help
• Complaints Follow Synergy Health Centers’ Expansion; Mass Regulators Lag on Nursing Home Scrutiny
• Mass Ranked Last Place in Assisted Living Oversight
• Patients Hit with Big Bills from Air Ambulances
• Worcester Housing Authority Announces Tenant Work Requirement
• Walsh Seeking More City Detox Beds for Opioid Addicts and New Office of Recovery Services
• Decisions to Make for Your Durable Power of Attorney
• Program Highlights
• Amirah, a Safe House for Sex Trafficking Victims, to Reopen by Summer’s End
• Checklist- Upgrade Your Home for Aging in Place
• Nonprofit Grocery Store “Daily Table” Set to Open in Dorchester
• Health Care Coverage
• MassHealth on Massive Hunt to Verify Eligibility
• Medicare Reminder: How Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care?
• Policy & Social Issues
• American College of Physicians Calls for LGBT Equity, Opposes Conversion Therapy
• Audit: Homeless Kids’ Education Transportation Costing Sheltering Towns Millions
• Disabled Riders Seek Uber and Lyft ADA Compliance
• Feds Probing MA Health Connector
• Report - DCF Burdened by Steep Increase in Appeals
• MA Below Average and Showing Racial Disparities in Kinship Care
• State Considers Fingerprinting Welfare Recipients
• Who Coordinates the Health Coordinators?
• Of Clinical Interest
• Mindfulness Beats Exercise, Healthy Diet in Resistant MDD
• Is the Low Serotonin & Depression Link a Myth?

 

April 2015

• Four Things to Know About Massachusetts’ New Paternity Law
• State Utility Regulator Ends Bill Recalculations
• CMS Announces New Star Ratings for Hospitals
• Baker Reestablishes Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
• Tips for Talking with your PCA
• Program Highlights
• REquipment- Recycled, Refurbished, Free Durable Medical Equipment
• The Zola Center Free Food Distribution- Newton and Environs
• Student-Run Shelter for Homeless Youth to Open in  November in Harvard Square
• Tufts Will Recruit, Provide Aid to Undocumented Students
• Health Care Coverage
• The Medicare Doc Fix
• Policy & Social Issues
• Strains Grow for DCF Workers
• Addressing Stigma, Disparities in Minority Mental Health- Access to Care Among Barriers
• Parents’ Education and The Relentlessness of Low Incomes
• Patients with Mental Illness No Better Off Under Obamacare
• Opinion: No Bridge Over Troubled Waters for Rehab Clients
• Opinion: Imaginary Health Care Horrors – Obamacare is Working
• Of Clinical Interest
• The Last Hours of Living- Practical Advice for Clinicians
• Reducing Dementia-Related Agitation- There's an App for That
• Low Fitness is More Strongly Associated with Depression Onset than is Overweight
• Special State Budget Process Supplement
• MA House Ways and Means FY16 Budget

 

March 2015

• Fraud Detection System Erroneously Cuts Thousands from Food Stamps, Advocates Create Tips Packet
• Utilities: Winter Moratorium Ends and Addressing Overdue Bills
• Proposal to Restrict VA Aid and Attendance Benefit
• Shelter Won’t be Fully Ready Until Summer at Earliest
• Upheaval in Nursing Home Industry Leaves Families Scrambling
• Beacon House Preserved as Affordable Housing
• Bunker Hill Public Housing to Get Private Twist
• CMS Improves the 5 Star Skilled Nursing Facility Rating System
• Digital Estate Planning
• Some Switching Electric Suppliers Hit with Large Retroactive Rate Hike
• Program Highlights
• Boston Senior Homecare’s Family Caregiver Support Services
• West Bridgewater to Hold Moderate Income Housing Lottery
• Boston Centers Teach Low-Income Residents to Manage Money
• Health Care Coverage
• Medicare Part D Appeals Process Audit Shows Barriers to Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues
• Baker’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal
• New DCF chief Remains Stymied by Lack of Funds  
• How America's Overmedicating Low-Income and Foster Kids
• Plan to Curb Boston School Meal Options Draws Fire
• Health Care Systems Try to Cut Costs by Aiding the Poor and Troubled
• Health & Wellness
• Study Links Common Food Additives to Crohn’s and Colitis
• Lifestyle Intervention Slows Cognitive Decline in Randomized Trial
• Of Clinical Interest
• What To Do For and Say to Someone Who Is Grieving
• APA Will Release Consumer Guide to DSM-5
• IOM Gives Chronic Fatigue Syndrome a New Name and Definition
• Rethinking Alcohol- Can Heavy Drinkers Learn To Cut Back

 

February 2015

• MassResources.org Ceasing Operation
• 2015 Federal Poverty Levels
• Legislature OK’s Budget-Cutting Bill that Tweaks Baker’s Plan
• New Rules to Let Frail Elders Stay in Assisted Living
• Transgender Rights in Shelter – Model Document
• Families Exhausting Heating Assistance in Boston Area
• ABLE Accounts – Additional Details and Comparison to Third Party Special Needs Trusts
• Court Injunction Stalls Immigration Initiatives
• Is a Probate Proceeding Always Required After Someone Dies?
• Program Highlights
  • Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
  • Accommodations and Support for Patients Traveling for Medical Care- ROFEH International
  • Neighbor Brigade
• Health Care Coverage
  • CMS Finalizes Key Beneficiary Protections in Medicare Advantage and Part D
  • MassHealth Releases Regulations for Coverage of Gender Dysphoria
  • Medicare to Cover Low Dose Computed Tomography
    • Affordable Care Act Implementation
      • Connector Tax Reporting Information  
      • Officials Look into Long Health Connector Hotline Waits
• Policy & Social Issues
  • Nursing Home Dementia Care Lacks Oversight- New Rules Inadequately Monitored
  • The Overuse of Antipsychotic Drugs in Nursing Homes- Still a Problem
  • Update on Vermont’s Drug Addiction Initiatives
  • Obama Budget Proposes Savings from Medicare  & Medicaid
• Of Clinical Interest
  • The Gut Microbiome and Diet - Focus on Depression

 

January 2015

• ABLE Act Will Allow Some SSI Recipients Additional Savings
• New Law Gives Massachusetts Fathers Paternity Leave
• Filing Taxes and the Affordable Care Act
• NSTAR Scam Warning
• New DPH Requirement- Distribute Information About Palliative Care, Hospice and Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment
• Program Highlights
  • Transgender Hotline: Trans Lifeline
  • Affordable Food - Two Dollars A Bag Program
  • Margolis and Bloom Legal Guides
  • Family Strife over Elder Care - Consider an Elder Mediator
• Health Care Coverage
  • Medicare Reminder- Differences Between Medicare Advantage and Medicare ACOs
  • Medicare Reminder- Can I Buy Medigap if Disenrolling from Medicare Advantage?
  • AARP Public Policy Institute Examines Transitions from Expansion Medicaid into Medicare
    • Affordable Care Act Implementation
      • Reminder-  Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Ends February 15
      • Connector Plan Names and Plan Participation
      • MassHealth and Connector Updates
• Policy & Social Issues
  • 50th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
  • Patrick Signs the Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Bill
  • Strict Shelter Rules for Homeless Families Draw Critics
  • Medicare Increasingly Rewarding Quality of Care Through Provider Payment Models
  • Medicare Advantage- Members of Congress  Advocate to Ensure Network Protections
  • Mass Workfare Participation Fell Sharply and Work Incentive Best Practices
  • Highest Income MA Residents Pay Lowest Share of Taxes
• Of Clinical Interest
  • Distinguishing Grief, Complicated Grief and Depression
  • Tool May Help Detect,  Monitor Aging Symptoms

 

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