Massachusetts is one of the few state with quite comprehensive health programs called MassHealth Program.  Many believe that the federal bill has alot of items modeled after MassHealth.

With drop in employment, this year the programs has a budget shortfall of over $300 million.  State is trying to devise a ways to close the shortfall.

Under the ideas being tossed around, over a million low income Massachusetts residents covered by medicaid will be required to pay more for doctor visits and receive prior approval for some medications.  Some of the notable changes will be in dental care.  Adults will no longer receive dentures or other cares except the cleanings and emergency services. 

This itself is going to bring in about $15 million.  Interim Medicaid Director Terence Dougherty said ” “What other states are doing is eliminating services.  What we are charged with doing” is to keep as many necessary services as we can, “and to realize that people won’t get every single thing they got in the past.”

According to Dougherty, about 1.2 million residents are receiving Medicaid assistance.  He said that they need identify additional opportunities for two third of the budget shortfall.

Any of these changes being proposed would need approval from the lawmakers and wont get into effect until April.