Group Insurance Commission pausing payments to healthcare providers

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – There’s new concern for certain local health providers.

The state’s Group Insurance Commission said they are pausing payments to their healthcare providers until later in the summer.

Leaves of Change Counseling in Northampton is one of many service providers trying to put together a game plan.

Owner Dr. Stephanie Jordan is still working to figure out what this means for her clinicians, but these were the only words she had the moment she found out the commission wasn’t coughing up cash:

“This came as quite the shock for us.”

She found out the Group Insurance Commission could not pay her claims until they were bailed out of their budget deficit of a quarter of a billion dollars.

“We employ 25 clinicians in the practice and this news impacts a good quarter to a third of our practice. So, for some of our clinicians, if we have to wait to pay them until July that’s about half or a third of their case load.” Said Dr. Jordan.

Group Insurance Commission clients can continue to use insurance, but providers will have their payments stalled until the legislature passes Governor Healey’s supplemental budget request.

“It puts people in a really difficult situation. Everyone has bills to pay, things they need.”

And Dr. Jordan told us that even though payments have stopped, treatment has not.

“Some of our clients are acute where pausing services for two months would not work for them clinically and additionally, it put us in a difficult position because letters were sent to each client saying their services would not be paused.”

So, what are businesses like Dr. Jordan’s left to do? She might have to take out a business loan due to the lack of grant availability.

But there is something you can do to help; get your phones out and call lawmakers to pass the supplemental budget.

“If we could have people utilize their voices, whether if it is calling for this legislation, calling GIC and being willing to advocate for the importance of the mental health and for these services to be covered sooner.” Said Dr. Jordan.

A spokesman for the Executive Office for Administration and Finance  provided us with the following statement:

“We are encouraged to see this timely funding advancing in the Legislature, and we’re confident, based on our work to date with our partners in the House and Senate, that the GIC will have the resources it needs for FY25 with minimal disruption for insurers, providers and the people they serve.”

A spokesperson with the Group Insurance Commission also gave us a statement that said:

“We are optimistic that this will be resolved this week as the house advanced the GIC’s funding bill to the senate yesterday and the senate intends to take it up on Thursday.”

Dr. Jordan continues to advocate for mental health care for her clients by saying: “No client should have to go without access to mental health care.”

We will keep you update on air and online with the latest details.

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