(crossposted from t3h GOS)
When my family moved to Fall River Massachusetts in October we thought we were really into something. The health care laws requiring everyone to have coverage seemed like a dream come true. Our son would have his ADHD medications,I would have the medications necessary to maintain my medical conditions…hell we would be all set. Ha! Boy were we wrong. More below the fold…
In early November I applied for MassHealth for everyone in my family. I read the information packet from cover to cover then called to make absolutely sure I understood the eligibility requirements. Once I was certain that we would qualify I sent in all of the information they requested. To date I have sent that information a total of seven times because they have repeatedly denied having ever received it. I called today,they finally have everything they need. Yay…uh NOT! “You’ll receive a denial notice in the mail either today or tomorrow.” What??!! After ten months of dealing with all this crap I’m told that my husband makes too much money. According to what I’ve been told over the phone,he does not make too much money. According to their handbook,my husband does not make too much money. According to this…
MassHealth Monthly Income Limits
Effective March 1, 2008 – February 28, 2009
Category and Coverage Type Family Size
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 +
100% FPG
•Seniors 65+ (Standard)
•Long-term unemployed (Essential)
•DMH clients (Basic) $867 $1167 $1467 $1767 $2067 $2367 $2667 $2967 $300
133% FPG
•Parents/Caretakers (Standard)
•Disabled adults (Standard) $1154 $1553 $1952 $2351 $2750 $3149 $3548 $3947 $399
150% FPG
•Children 1 to 18 (Standard) $1301 $1751 $2201 $2651 $3101 $3551 $4001 $4451 $450
200% FPG
•Pregnant women (Standard, Prenatal)
•Infants under 1 (Standard)
•HIV+ under 65 (Family Assistance) $1734 $2334 $2934 $3534 $4134 $4734 $5334 $5934 $600
250% FPG
•Women with breast or cervical cancer (Standard) $2168 $2918 $3668 $4418 $5168 $5918 $6668 $7418 $750
300% FPG
•Children under 19 (Family Assistance)
•Workers 19-64 with insurance (Family Assistance) $2601 $3501 $4401 $5301 $6201 $7101 $8001 $8901 $900
my husband does not make too much money.
And just when I thought this mess couldn’t get any worse I find out that a mistake has been made. This mistake was enough to send me into a total hissy fit.
MassHealth will continue to cover our children but by law can not divulge any information to me concerning their health care,their application for transportation assistance etc. It seems that when my husband and I voluntarily went to DSS to obtain help for our youngest child they apparently checked off the wrong damn box. The box they checked off was the one stating that “the above named children are in DSS custody”. Our children have never been in DSS custody and never will! So now we get to sit around and wait for our case worker to straighten this out.
To sum it all up,I can’t obtain any information concerning our children,I have no health coverage and no way to pay for my medicine{several of which my life depends on},and I have to wait for a freaking case worker to prove that they never had custody of our children. Nice eh’? If you get the impression that I’m really pissed off,you would be right!
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I’m truly sorry for your struggles–it always hurts when the “system” tells you in actions and words that you’re a worthless (in fact that may be the worse thing they do)–that seems to be the function of our various levels of governments and the corporations they serve.
NPR had a series last week I think of health care in Europe–well it was about time–it is rare that the MSM reports that Europe even has any health-care system and that it works in many different flavors at often half the price and covers everyone.
All this because Republicans have been able to convince working-class people that waving the flag, hating immigrants and blacks, abortion, gay marriage and all the other crap they feed the people on the endless right-wing talk-shows is more important than taking care of your family.
How did we get to this point? I will spare you my analysis at this time but it’s a question we ought to be asking every day on this blog.
tough to live without health insurance. we have some now and do not take it for granted anymore.
Let us know if we can help.
ctrenta “aka” Christian at GMD!
Let me know if I can help. My best to 9k.
I’m also a MA resident, and living near Boston — if I can help out, I’m game.
I’m not a healthcare provider nor anyone with DSS connections, but I have … a weird network of connections that might be able to help get things done.
It sounds like the system is seriously screwed up and very likely there are many people in your situation. I know it sounds like a long shot but if you personally speak to your state senator or house rep and follow it up with a letter (this letter), they might look in to it and advocate for you. It sounds like this is way beyond incompetence and could be due to some systematic glitches or even abuses.
Best of luck