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News You Need: Free Health Insurance, New Medicare Benefit, Biomarker Testing Coverage, & State Updates

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Here is the latest news about laws and programs at both the national and state levels that may be relevant to you.

National News

  • Deadline to sign up for free or low-cost Marketplace health insurance through the special enrollment period ended on August 15, but if you already have a Marketplace plan, you may still qualify for lower monthly premiums, especially if you have received unemployment benefits during 2021. Visit HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace for details. For help making health insurance decisions, visit TriageCancer.org/HealthInsurance.
  • Medicare has added cognitive assessment and care to the definition of primary care services covered by the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and are now permanently covered through telehealth. Learn more about these services here. This is a useful benefit for anyone experiencing cancer-related cognitive challenges (chemo brain) or anyone about to go through treatment who might want a baseline test.
  • If you receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) your payments will drop from $7 to $4 a day, starting October 1. One in 8 Americans now receives help through food stamps. If you are concerned about your food stability and need financial help, visit CancerFinances.org.
  • Unpaid medical bills became the largest source of Americans’ debt, from 2009-2020. Debts were largest in states that have not expanded Medicaid. If you are one of 17.8% of Americans with medical debt that has been sent to collections, you are not alone. Visit CancerFinances.org and click on the “Managing Finances” module for help.

 

State News

  • Missouri’s Medicaid expansion is now available, after the Missouri Supreme Court decided that the state had to implement the voter-approved ballot measure. Republican lawmakers have refused to implement the program. The program has to give eligible people coverage, retroactively back to July 1, 2021. You can apply for coverage under the state’s Medicaid expansion here.
  • California eliminates asset test for 2 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal and Medicare, starting July 1, 2022. This is a huge benefit for seniors and people with disabilities in the state. Under the Medicaid program (Medi-Cal in CA), if you are a senior or an individual with a disability who is receiving SSI, then you cannot have more than $2,000 in assets for single adults and $3,000 for couples. Assets include bank accounts, savings, retirement plans, or cash value life insurance policies. To apply or learn more about Medi-Cal, click here.
  • Connecticut will provide free health insurance to 40,000 people. The Covered Connecticut Program will offer free silver plans to families earning between 160-175% of the federal poverty level. This plan will cover all premiums, deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket costs. Learn more here, and sign up on the Access Health CT.
  • Pennsylvania expands Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) benefits to people earning up to 600% of the federal poverty level, starting in December 2021. Previously, workers could only earn up to 250% of the FPL without losing this coverage. This legislation raises the income cap from about $32,000 per year to $76,000. Learn more about MAWD benefits in PA here.
  • Louisiana requires health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing for cancer patients, starting January 1, 2022. Under this law, covered tests include tests for tumor mutations, hereditary genetic testing, and biomarker testing. Learn more about this bill here.
  • Texas doctors can skip prior authorization starting September 1, according to a new state law. Doctors do not have to get prior authorization for certain treatments, if 90% of their medical orders for those services in the past six months were approved by the insurance company. Learn more about this law here.

 

Stay tuned for more news at the national and state level that may impact the cancer community.

About Triage Cancer

Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit providing free education to people diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, and health care professionals on cancer-related legal and practical issues. Through events, materials, and resources, Triage Cancer is dedicated to helping people move beyond diagnosis.

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