As you may have read in a previous post I have found myself currently without work and with out the ability to afford health care. Thank goodness I live in Massachusetts! I thus qualify for MassHealth. Getting it though has been a bit of a problem... I went to one of their virtual gateways, filled out my form, read it over, signed it and was told that since I currently have no income, am not married, and have no children this will be easy. I depressing view of my current life, but at least it helps me get healthcare?
Anyway, ~4 weeks later I got a letter stating that I was declined because I am not a resident, but I am... So I tried calling many a help number given to me and was continually asked if I resided in another state at any point in time and did I receive benefits there. Yes I have lived in other states, but not currently, and no I have never received benefits before. Being asked this questions continually I started to become worried that perhaps some one had stolen my identity, but they would not tell me what state they thought I lived in or what benefits they thought I might be collecting.
I was told that I needed to file an appeal (I think, but some told me that I'd have to do this and others told me that I shouldn't) and that I should send a rental lease (which I don't have because I'm staying with friends), a utilities bill in my name (again staying with friends, not on any of the utilities, and also their rent covers all utilities anyway), or a notarised affidavit but they didn't say from whom.
In the mean time my friend was asking around to see if any one els had encountered these problems and how they got through it. Eventually he found Health care for everyone and called 1-800-272-4232. They were incredibly helpful and told him that since I was staying with him for the foreseeable future he should write an affidavit for me and then I should take it to 300 Ocean Ave, Revere, MA 02151, I believe this is the closest regional centre.
That day he went to the bank and got the affidavit notarised and the next day I took the hour plus train ride out to Ocean Ave. Once there I got a cranky women who asked me once again did I live in another state, and was I receiving benefits. I handed her the affidavit and she baulked at it saying that they couldn't accept on from a roommate, it had to be a land lord. I explained that I was told this would be acceptable and she reiterated it had to be from a landlord and added condescendingly that I should have known better then to think that they would accept one from my roommate. I then stated that in order to bring her the correct documents I needed to be told then what those correct documents where and not given false information. Was there something that I could give her then and there that would be acceptable? I had my Massachusetts drivers license, I had my US passport, and I had my voter registration papers. She then proceeded to tell me that she had no idea why they stated that I wasn't a resident and no it did not say that I was or am a resident in any other state or receiving benefits from another state (thank goodness no identity fraud). She finally went and asked if my roommates affidavit would be acceptable and they said yes, took it away, she came back in a huff and said that I now had health care and I needed to call this phone number the next day, oh and I would need to provide a primary care giver good bye. And that was it according to her. I asked her where I might find a list of primary care givers and she almost exploded "I don't know call some one else". So I left. I did get some good photos though.
Since the MassHealth help lines hadn't been helpful I called the Health Care for everyone to ask where I might find a list of primary care givers. I've never had to do this before as I've been in school for my entire adult life and didn't get a choice, you just got who they gave you. I was then told that I should know better and call my private insurance plan. As far as I knew I didn't have a private insurance plan as I was now in one of the MassHealth programs, but didn't know which one. The lady then lectured me that I should get my organisations right. She did finally give me a number and informed me that I was on MassHealth Essentials, I didn't know that was one of the possible programs let alone the one that I was on. By this time I was in tears, but at least I had a bit more info.
I then called the Customer Service at 1800- 841- 2900. Now that I had an Id number (not that I knew that I had one or what it was) the help was much better. I found out what my options were for the different groups I could go with and where to find a list of primary care givers. This I found out was a bit of a fluke, but how to play the system. Apparently one just has to keep calling, just call the same number and the same extensions over and over again until you find someone who is helpful. I thanked the girl profusely and told her how grateful I was that someone was finally willing to talk me through the entire process. I am new to the state, I didn't expect to find myself in this situation, I have never had to receive benefits before and the process was new and is very convoluted. Even though I have advanced degrees I was made to feel stupid and incompetent throughout the entire process. I don't think it was me, and I understand that the people working in the system are overworked, underpaid, and understaffed. However if you find yourself in a similar situation don't worry you are not stupid, you are not a bad person for needing this help no matter what any one implies or out right says.
My story it ends up is quiet common. According to the Health Care for Everyone employee that my friend talked to, many people are wrongly marked as not a resident. I hope that by reading this you've found some useful info and phone numbers or at least solace in knowing that you are not the only one out there experiencing this.
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