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August 21, 2024
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Topic: Independent Assessment Entity: Public Information Session
When: Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Why: MassHealth has proposed to secure an “Independent Assessment Entity” to provide clinical assessments for approximately 240,000 Massachusetts residents who rely upon MassHealth services, support, and care to remain living in their homes and communities. The affected programs are: Adult Foster Care, Group Adult Foster Care, Personal Care Management (PCA), Day Habilitation, Adult Day Health, Senior Care Options, PACE, and OneCareHome.
Your role in this process is crucial. This is a significant change that will have an enormous impact on consumers and on the longstanding community-based system of care in Massachusetts. Historically, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS and MassHealth) actively solicited public input and engaged with stakeholders to investigate challenges to service systems before changing policy or practices. This collaborative approach has resulted in improved programs and policies, created efficiencies, and engendered stakeholder support and public confidence. Engagement of stakeholders and other interested parties did not occur before the issuance of a “Request for Response” (RFR) in this instance.
We believe this is a missed opportunity to identify and implement needed changes to current policies and protocols without disrupting relationships with community-based organizations that have been in place for decades.
This webinar presents an opportunity to steer the direction of change. It will provide information in support of the request to MassHealth to put aside the RFR and engage in a meaningful exploration with stakeholders to improve systems that are in place currently.
What: The webinar will include a PowerPoint presentation summarizing key points made by stakeholders in response to MassHealth’s “Request for Information” (RFI); a panel of clients of services and family members sharing their lived experiences; a panel of provider representatives offering their observations about the current system and ideas for improvement; and closing comments from Mike Levine, EOHHS Assistant Secretary and Director of MassHealth and Leslie Darcy, Chief, Long Term Services and Supports at MassHealth.
Accessibility: CART services will be provided. The session will be recorded with captions.
Registration for the IAE Webinar is Required
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.