Pre-eligibility Medical Expenses Can Be Paid from MassHealth Recipient’s Income

Often, medical bills arrive after a MassHealth application has been approved, and the MassHealth applicant is out of funds to pay these bills.  At that point, MassHealth should be asked to allow payment out of the MassHealth recipient’s income.  In 2011, MassHealth (the Massachusetts Medicaid program) was criticized by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for its failure to follow federal law, which allows previous medical bills to be paid out of a MassHealth recipient’s income.  See the CMS letter to Massachusetts re pre-eligibility medical expenses.