MassHealth Changes Disrupt Care for Some People with Chronic Conditions#BGZj

MassHealth Changes Disrupt Care for Some People with Chronic Conditions For Medicaid patients whove spent years building a team of specialists they trust, changes in insurance can be life-altering. I had recently left my primary care provider after nearly eight years because, as my health continued to deteriorate, they were no longer able to give me the treatment I needed. In fact, approximately 1.2 of the 1.8 million people on MassHealth will be affected by the March 1 changes to the program. Changes will affect a majority of MassHealth patients But she is worried about how the disruption in her coverage from now until October will affect her health. Fifty-eight-year-old Nancy Houghton of Beverly, Massachusetts, has similar concerns as Sheehan. Breaking up healthcare teams hits people with chronic conditions hard A MassHealth patient for more than two decades, Houghton has a very well-established relationship with her healthcare team. The primary goal of the changes to MassHealth is to make the program more cost efficient. Unclear how much money new system will save But despite many assertions that the new MassHealth model will cost less, actual research on ACOs indicates that they reap limited healthcare savings long-term.