Emergency Broadband Benefits Make It More Affordable for MHS Members to Stay Connected

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Aug 20, 2021, 07:00 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Managed Health Services (MHS) is encouraging members to take advantage of the Emergency Broadband Benefits program created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help members better connect digitally. Since the beginning of the pandemic, low income, underserved, and rural communities have experienced a greater digital divide without reliable access to telehealth, virtual learning, and in some cases, jobs. The Emergency Broadband Benefits provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband services to eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on tribal land, plus a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.

"Digital access is no longer something that is considered a luxury item," said Kevin O'Toole, MHS President and CEO. "Broadband is a utility that every home in America should have access to at an affordable price."

To be eligible for program benefits, households only need to meet one of the following criteria to qualify for benefits:

Qualify for SNAP, Medicaid, or the Lifeline program;
Receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program (or have received during the previous school year);
Received a Federal Pell Grant this year;
Experienced a substantial loss of income since Feb. 29, 2020 and the household had a total income below $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers in 2020; or
Qualify for a participating providers' existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

A list of additional emergency broadband benefit providers by state can be found here. MHS has also put together a list of additional resources that can be combined with the emergency broadband benefit to help members access phone and internet services:

LIFELINE: Lifeline is an FCC program that provides subscribers a discount of up to $9.25 on monthly telephone service, broadband internet service, or bundled voice-broadband packages. To find out if you qualify and how to apply, visit the Lifeline Support page.

SAFELINK: SafeLink is a federal phone and data program available to SNAP recipients and Medicaid beneficiaries. Through SafeLink, eligible recipients receive free minutes, texts, and data every month. Benefits vary by state. For more information on how to enroll, visit the SafeLink Enrollment page.

ACCESS FROM AT&T: Access from AT&T provides low-cost internet service including in-home Wi-Fi for $10/month or less in some areas. Currently, Access from AT&T is available in some parts of Indiana. Visit ACCESS from AT&T to find out if this program is right for you.

MHS is committed to providing information that helps members improve their quality of life and enhance their healthcare options. For more information about the Emergency Broadband Benefits program, visit https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.

About MHS
Managed Health Services (MHS) is a managed care entity that has been proudly serving the state of Indiana for over 25 years through the Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect Medicaid programs and the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) Medicaid alternative program. MHS also offers Ambetter from MHS in the Indiana health insurance marketplace, and Allwell from MHS, a Medicare Advantage plan. All of our plans include quality, comprehensive coverage with a provider network you can trust. Visit mhsindiana.com to learn more. MHS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation®, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services.

SOURCE MHS