This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections.
To find financial assistance resources, please visit CancerFinances.org.
Click here for information about laws specific to Massachusetts.
Disability Insurance
Federal Disability Insurance (SSDI & SSI)
Social Security Administration
800.772.1213
Estate Planning & Medical Decision Making
Triage Cancer's free State-Specific Estate Planning Toolkit includes information about estate planning in general, and information about Massachusetts estate planning documents, and the specific forms you need.
Bankruptcy
How to File Bankruptcy in Massachusetts for Free
Filing bankruptcy can be an effective way to eliminate medical bills and credit card debt among other kinds of erasable debts.
Employment
Federal Fair Employment Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
800.669.4000
info@eeoc.gov
Reasonable Accommodations
Job Accommodation Network
800.526.7234
jan@AskJAN.org
Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
U.S. Department of Labor
Wage & Hour Division
866.487.9243
State Fair Employment Agency
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)
617.994.6000
Paid Family Leave
Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML)
MassPFML@Mass.gov
Vocational Rehabilitation
Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services
617.573.1600
Health Insurance
Massachusetts Health Insurance Marketplace (a.k.a Exchange)
Health Connector
877.623.6765
Massachusetts Division of Insurance
877.563.4467 or 617.521.7794
COBRA
U.S. Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security Administration
COBRA-Massachusetts
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Consumer Service Division
877.563.4467
Medicaid Programs
Triage Cancer Guide to Medicaid Expansion
MassHealth
888.665.9993
In-Home Support Services (IHSS)
Massachusetts Office of ElderAffairs
State Medicaid Program for In-Home Care
Personal Care Attendant
MassHealth Premium Assistance (PA)
800.862.4840
State Children’s Health Insurance Program
Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF)
617.624.6060 or 800.882.1435
Find Health & Dental Coverage For Your Family
InsureKids.gov
Medicare
Medicare
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
800.MEDICARE (633.4227)
Medicare Assistance
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
800.243.4636
Health Care Programs & Laws
Women’s Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Sharing Medical Information with Family & Friends
Hill Burton Federally-Funded Health Centers
Federally Qualified Health Centers
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP)
Transportation
Local transit systems may provide free or discounted rates for low-income individuals and families. Some cities also offer bus passes, vouchers for taxi or ride-sharing services, or shuttle services for patients traveling to cancer treatments.
Dial 211 for assistance.
Unemployment Resources
Unemployment Agency
Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development, Department of Unemployment Assistance
617.626.6800
Agency: Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development
Information available here. File here. File weekly certifications online or by phone: (617) 626-6338. Initial payments will be made within three or four weeks if a claimant is eligible. Click here to see the current weekly benefit amount and the maximum length of benefits. Payment may be made via direct deposit or debit card. A comprehensive guidebook can be found here. Detailed guides on how to apply are available here. Informational videos can be found here. Customer service can be reached here: (877) 626-6800 (or dialing 711 for relay). Claimants are required to maintain job search records and may be required to appear in person at a MassHire Career Center.
Updates related to Massachusetts unemployment benefits and Covid-19.
State Clinical Trials Law
The ACA requires that most, non-grandfathered, group health plans provide coverage for the routine costs when participating in clinical trials. Some states have more consumer protections. Click here for more information about clinical trials.
M.G.L.A. 175 §110L, 176A §8X – The statute applies to all health plans issued or renewed in the commonwealth on or after January 1, 2003. Health plans must cover all patient care services associated with all Phases of qualified clinical trials.
A “qualified clinical trial” is one that is intended to treat cancer. Second, it must be peer reviewed and approved by either: (1) NIH, (2) NIH-sponsored cooperative group or center, (3) a qualified nongovernmental research entity, (4) U.S. F.D.A., (5) U.S. Dept. of Defense, (6) U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or (7) a qualified IRB (applies to Phase II, III, and IV clinical trials only). Third, the facility or personnel providing the experimental treatment must be experienced. Fourth, the patient must meet specified criteria set forth in the protocol. Fifth, the patient must provide informed consent for participation. Sixth, data related to the clinical trial must provide a reasonable expectation that the treatment will provide a medical benefit to the participant. Seventh, the clinical trial must not duplicate existing studies. Eighth, the clinical trial must have a “therapeutic intent.”
This state has mandated an additional requirement on Phase I clinical trials – the facility must be an academic medical center or affiliated facility and the clinicians conducting the trial must have privileges at the academic medical center. (current 5/31/2011).
Paid Family Sick Leave
Massachusetts’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law goes into effect in 2021.