MITT ROMNEY
GOVERNOR
|
KERRY HEALEY
LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 26,
2006 |
CONTACT:
Eric
Fehrnstrom
Felix Browne
(617) 725-4025
Dick Powers
(EHS)
(617) 573-1610 |
GOVERNOR ROMNEY ANNOUNCES FEDERAL
APPROVAL FOR COMMONWEALTH’S HEALTHCARE REFORM PLAN
Governor Mitt Romney
today announced that the federal government has approved all aspects
of the state’s Medicaid waiver, which will allow implementation of
the Commonwealth’s landmark healthcare reform legislation.
The agreement preserves $385 million in federal Medicaid funding
during each of the next two years. That money will now be available
for premium assistance for low-income people to them purchase
private health insurance and reduce the rate of the uninsured in the
state.
Based on a 2004 state survey, approximately 500,000 people in the
Commonwealth were uninsured. About 100,000 of them are
eligible for Medicaid, another 200,000 are expected to be eligible
for premium assistance to purchase private health insurance that
will contain no annual deductibles, and another 200,000 with incomes
over 300 percent of the federal poverty level will be able to
purchase lower-cost policies in the private market.
“Our ability to now insure every Massachusetts citizen is a
historic achievement for both the Commonwealth and the nation, Esaid
Romney. “A critical component of our plan is that all
residents will have the opportunity to purchase affordable health
insurance. E/P>
Approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) came less than three months after the Massachusetts Executive
Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) submitted its 200-page
plan.
“The federal government’s approval of the Massachusetts Eplan is
a critical step for our implementation efforts of this sweeping
reform, Esaid EOHHS Secretary Timothy Murphy. “We look forward
to working with all stakeholders to make this plan a success. E/P>
In addition to providing the mechanism to pay for premium
assistance for individuals earning less than 300 percent of the
federal poverty level, this action by the federal government gives
MassHealth formal approval to expand the health insurance coverage
for children up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
It also sets an identical threshold for the Insurance
Partnership, a MassHealth program that helps small businesses pay
for their employees Ehealth insurance.
In addition, the enrollment cap in the MassHealth Essential
program for the long-term unemployed has been increased to 60,000 as
part of this approval.
“Tomorrow, the Office of Medicaid will clear its waitlist and
enroll approximately 10,500 people into MassHealth Essential
program. These individuals are currently being served by the
free care pool today. By raising the enrollment cap on
MassHealth Essential, these individuals will now have access to
managed care and will allow dollars in the free care pool to be
directed to premium assistance, Enbsp; said Beth Waldman, the
state’s Medicaid Director.
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