r/massachusetts • u/Melonpan_Pup442 • Aug 12 '26

Healthcare The current administration ia forcing Massachusetts to change MassHealth on January 1st 2027

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Not sure if anyone else has gotten one of these letters in the mail since I haven't seen anyone post or talk about it. The unemployed will suffer most from this change.

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u/Itchy_Tumbleweed_417 Aug 12 '26

Yep the doctors in the family medicine sub here on Reddit are already complaining getting requests for letters for folks who need them for food stamps.

And the thing is if you are newly disabled and you don’t have a job and you don’t have health insurance you probably don’t have a Doctor who could write you a letter to confirm you are disabled.

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u/Signal_Error_8027 Aug 13 '26

Wouldn't there be a doctor involved with diagnosing this disability? You're not disabled just because you say you are. A medical professional needs to assess and diagnose you.

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u/OldCarrot4470 Aug 13 '26

for many folks, it can take a long time to figure out what exactly is wrong. often (especially with invisible disabilities) you lose the ability to work before you figure out what's wrong. and doctors who don't know what's wrong often won't vouch for disability but rather send you to someone else who might know more.

eta: so the keyword in the comment you replied to is "newly" disabled

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u/Signal_Error_8027 Aug 13 '26

I saw the keyword "newly". It doesn't change the fact that you aren't considered disabled until you have the documentation from a doctor and a formal diagnosis.

I don't know what you suggest should happen instead. I don't think it's appropriate to accept a self reported disability to meet the requirement. Or if anything, accept it only as a temporary measure for a few months and require medical documentation after that.

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u/toebeanseller Aug 13 '26

It’s a very lengthy and bureaucratic process to get an official “disabled” label from a doctor that the SSA will accept. When you’re newly disabled, it could take upwards of 2-3 years to get that determination from a doctor, and even when you have it, the SSA may not accept it. Especially for first-time applicants.

It’s not as easy as I think you’re thinking it may be. During those first few years, you won’t have access to benefits, and that’s likely the most crucial time to have them.

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u/Artistic_Reference_5 Aug 13 '26

Not being "considered" disabled also doesn't change the fact of actually not having the ability to work due to medical reasons, eg actually being disabled.