Dive Brief:
- The Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) is asking state permission to temporarily determine Medicaid eligibility.
- The MHA hopes to take advantage of a special hospital presumptive eligibility process under the Affordable Care Act which allows hospital workers to give applicants seeking free care a streamlined form to determine temporary Medicaid coverage.
- They're asking, in part, the Massachusetts health connector website to determine eligibility for Medicaid and other health programs isn't working.
Dive Insight:
Given the circumstances, it only makes sense to give hospitals a better shot at collecting for patients that might be eligible for Medicaid. We're in enough of a transitional period as it is, with uncertainties around the ACA and apparently, problems with the Massachusetts Health Connector to top it off. Any reasonable step that helps hospitals keep the cash flowing during this perilous time probably makes sense.