While over 98 percent of the Commonwealth’s children have some form of health coverage, thousands of children and young people, including children and young adults with cancer, lack access to comprehensive health insurance coverage, due solely to their immigration status. Expanding access to comprehensive Medicaid coverage, known as MassHealth to every child in the Commonwealth who qualifies, regardless of immigration status, is the right thing to do and would ensure equitable access to cancer care for all children and young adults that Dana-Farber serves. 

WHAT THIS BILL DOES

• SB740 and HB1237 would expand Medicaid (MassHealth)  coverage to eligible children and young adults regardless of immigration status.
• This bill would provide needed health coverage for many crucial services that are currently out of reach for children and young adults, especially those with a cancer diagnosis.

WHY THIS MATTERS 

• This is an issue of equity. Some immigrant children and young adults in Massachusetts are not able to access the same MassHealth coverage as other young people, even if they meet all other eligibility factors.
• Without this bill, some immigrant children with cancer would continue to go without the medically necessary prescription drugs, in-home services, durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, and other support they require.
• Lack of coverage for these services, especially for children and young adults with cancer, results in children needing more acute, emergency, or hospital-based care, staying in the hospital longer than necessary or not receiving care altogether.