Gov. Maura Healey launched a statewide campaign on Monday to help hundreds of thousands of MassHealth members keep their health coverage as new federal Medicaid rules take effect over the coming months. Announced in Haverhill and backed by $10 million in state funding, the effort pairs the state with the advocacy group Health Care For All and nearly 50 community organizations to walk residents through the changes before missed deadlines cost them their insurance.
The changes flow from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal law President Trump signed in July 2025. Starting in January 2027, roughly 360,000 MassHealth members ages 19 to 64 will have to document that they meet new work or education requirements, and many will have to renew their coverage every six months rather than once a year. A separate change, effective this October, will end comprehensive MassHealth eligibility for some lawfully present immigrants.
“President Trump is trying to kick millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of people here in Massachusetts off their health care coverage, not because they no longer qualify, but because of unnecessary paperwork and confusing new requirements,” Healey said. “These are working families who rely on this program to afford their health care. But we have their backs. We’re going to be here every step of the way to help people understand these changes and what they need to do to keep their coverage.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said the state was moving early to spare families another burden.
“Families have enough to worry about without navigating confusing new federal requirements or wondering whether paperwork is going to put their health insurance at risk,” she said. “That’s why we are working with trusted community partners to reach people early.”
For immigrant communities, the October change carries particular weight. Under the federal law, comprehensive Medicaid coverage will be limited to a narrower group of noncitizens, green-card holders, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, and migrants from Compact of Free Association nations, while refugees, people granted asylum, holders of Temporary Protected Status, and many humanitarian parolees lose federal eligibility, according to KFF and immigrant-serving organizations. The carve-out for Cuban and Haitian entrants means some Haitian residents may keep their coverage, while others, depending on their exact status, may not.
Legislative leaders, who funded the campaign, described the federal changes in blunt terms.
Senate President Karen Spilka called them a “cruel program” meant to “kick Massachusetts residents off of coverage,” adding that lawmakers “prioritized funding this campaign because our people shouldn’t lose their health care over red tape manufactured by the Trump administration.” House Speaker Ronald Mariano said the administration was working “to prevent Americans from enrolling in Medicaid to finance their tax cuts for the wealthy.”
State officials said MassHealth has spent more than a year preparing to soften the impact. Assistant Secretary for MassHealth Ryan Schwarz said the agency’s “first and foremost priority is maintaining coverage for all eligible residents of the Commonwealth,” and that while it is “required by federal law to implement these changes,” it would do so “in a way that minimizes disruption” wherever possible. The agency says it will automatically flag members who qualify for exemptions, including people who are pregnant, caring for a child 13 or younger, living with a disability, or managing certain health conditions, using records already on file, and will reach affected members by mail, text message, email, and automated call.
Jennifer Lemmerman, executive director of Health Care For All, called the campaign “the antidote to the drastic federal cuts to health care programs,” saying the goal was to make sure members, “particularly adults ages 19-64 who face onerous work and education reporting requirements” , are ready.
The state estimates that carrying out the federal changes will cost it about $30 million beyond the campaign, and officials said the effort builds on the successful 2024 Medicaid “redeterminations” campaign run by the same team.
Supporters of the federal law have defended its Medicaid provisions as a way to encourage work and curb spending. The Congressional Budget Office projected the changes would save the federal government billions of dollars. Research on similar work requirements, however, has found that they tend to generate more paperwork and coverage losses than new employment.
The state is urging members to act now: keep MassHealth updated with a current mailing address, email, and cell phone number; open every notice it sends, including the blue renewal envelope; and watch for its texts, emails, and automated calls. More information, including how to check whether the changes apply and where to find free local help, is available at mass.gov/MassHealthMemberChanges. Immigrants concerned about the October eligibility cutoff should also consider consulting a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative about their status and options.
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