Governor Mitt Romney announced on Monday that his administration has hit the first milestone in the implementation of the new health insurance law by submitting to the federal government for approval a comprehensive plan detailing how it will substantially reduce the number of uninsured in the Commonwealth.
Romney also announced the formation of the MassHealth Fraud Prevention unit to insure the integrity of the $7 billion per year program, funded by $1.5 million in the health care reform bill. Until now, MassHealth had several programs in different parts of the agency addressing the issue of fraud.
Approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to maintain the availability of $385 million of federal Medicaid funding during each of the next two fiscal years. Last year, CMS advised Massachusetts to submit its plan by January 15, noting that a minimum of 120 days would be needed to review the proposal without jeopardizing the continuous availability of the $385 million after July 1. The state missed that deadline as health care reform was not passed by the Legislature until April.
“Despite the legislative delays, it is our hope that our partners in the federal government will expedite their review and approve the Commonwealth’s plan by July 1,†said Romney. “We will be aggressive in our efforts to secure the maximum level of federal funding and stand ready to provide any and all additional information that may be required.â€
Romney said a rapid response team comprised of Health and Human Services and MassHealth staff has been assembled to assist the CMS review process.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tim Murphy said: “Implementation will be just as challenging as getting the legislation passed, but it is a challenge we relish. We look forward to working closely with the federal government and other stakeholders to make health care insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts.â€
According to the plan filed today, the recently approved health insurance law accomplishes the following key goals sought by the federal government:
Subsidizes the purchase of private insurance for low-income individuals to reduce the number of uninsured;
Directs more federal and state dollars to individuals and less to institutions; and
Improves the fiscal integrity of the MassHealth program.
Key milestones in the timeline submitted as part of the plan include the operationalization of the Connector Authority between May and October, the offering and enrollment of lower-income residents into premium assistance programs by October, the offering of private, non-subsidized products by January, and statewide open enrollment between March and May 2007 in anticipation of the individual insurance requirement that starts July 1, 2007.
Meanwhile, the Legislature and the Executive branch are redoubling efforts to ensure program integrity in MassHealth.
MassHealth is also planning a comprehensive effort to re-credential its providers. The effort, suggested by national program integrity experts consulted by MassHealth, will begin with an immediate targeted review of high-risk providers.
“We’ve created this unit to build and document a coordinated process of detecting, identifying and referring suspected fraud and abuse within both the provider and member communities,†said Massachusetts Medicaid Director Beth Waldman. “Centralization will allow MassHealth to direct resources strategically and provide an efficient way to inform providers and members that we take fraud very seriously.â€
“We believe re-enrolling our providers will pay dividends and reduce risk to the program,†said Murphy. “And we are confident that the creation of the Fraud Prevention Unit will enhance our efforts to build an efficient and sound system for fraud and abuse identification and referral in MassHealth.â€
Massachusetts’ full submission to CMS is available at www.mass.gov/eohhs .
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Lanesborough Considers Keeping Keeler Island
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town is considering keeping a Pontoosuc Lake island as its own.
Last week, the Select Board voted to consider selling three tax title properties and maintaining Keeler Island, located on Pontoosuc Lake. New statewide tax title laws that went into effect on Nov. 1, 2024, altered some options available to towns, and officials see this as a way to raise some funds.
Treasurer Jodi Hollingsworth explained that these properties have gone through the land court process, and with the new laws, the town needs to determine if it wants to keep or sell them. This includes lots on South Main Street (Parcel ID: 116-17), Chickatabot Avenue (114-8), C Street (112-140), and Keeler Island (115-1).
"These properties have been in the system through the changes in legislation," Town Administrator Gina Dario said. "And so this really is the first point that they're coming to the town for consideration of how to maintain."
Keeler Island, with an assessed value of $48,700, and the parcels on Chickatabot and C Street had been owned by Franklin Perras of North Adams, who died in 2017. Perras had owned properties across the county that have been tied up in Land Court for years as attorneys have tried to find any heirs.
According to documents on file at the Registry of Deeds, Perras purchased the island and the Chickatabot property with a building together in 1998 and the C Street lot the same year.
Lanesborough has about 15 properties in various stages of tax title. This is a way for the town to start recovering money that has been deferred and ultimately determine whether or not there's any public value to the properties, Dario explained.
"I think the town should maintain Keeler Island," Selectman Timothy Sorrell said.
"I use the lake. I boat on it, I fish on it. Hey, be nice for the town to have a piece of property out there on that island so people can swim from Narragansett Park out to the island, if that's what they want to do."
During his time on the police force, he heard multiple complaints about trespassers on the island, and "If we own that property, the island, at least people would be able to use it from Narragansett Park." He pointed out that town property can be posted as no use after dark, similar to town parks.
"But also give a place for some of our fishermen, too, if they want to go out and leave their boat on the island to walk around the shore and fish from there," Sorrell said.
Ashlyn Lesure scored 18 points, and Regan Shea and Emma Meczywor added 15 and 11, respectively, as the Hurricanes successfully defended their 2024 state crown and won the program’s fourth state title in a run that has seen Hoosac Valley go to the state final nine times since 2014. click for more
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Devyn Fillio Sunday won the boys and girls individual high school bowling State Championships at Spare Time.
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Capped by Sam St. Peter’s come-from-behind win in the final bout of the day to win the 285 crown, the Spartans placed second at the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Championships at Mount Greylock. click for more
