Rules & Regulations
MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE REFORM
The Law
Massachusetts Health Care Reform became law on April 12, 2006. It is Massachusetts’ plan to reduce the number of people who have no health insurance. It also works to improve the cost and quality of health care.
- Read the entire law – Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 – “An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care.”
3 technical correction bills have been passed to update or amend the Health Reform Law:
Regulations
Massachusetts Individual Mandate
Massachusetts has an “individual health insurance mandate” which requires most adults to carry health insurance if it is affordable to them and that meets certain coverage standards (referred to as “Minimum Creditable Coverage” or “MCC”). The Massachusetts Health Connector sets the coverage and affordability standards, and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) administers the requirement via the state tax filing process. Please note that the standards described here are specific to the Massachusetts health reform law (not the Affordable Care Act, the federal health reform law).
Continue reading for more information about the individual mandate →
Final Regulations
(Note: Official versions of these documents are available only from the Secretary of State and can be purchased at the State House Bookstore.)
- Table of Contents for Connector Regulations (956 CMR)
- Final Regulations 2.00 – Medicaid Managed Care Organization Participation in Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program (CCHIP) (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 3.00 – Eligibility and Hearing Process for Commonwealth Care (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 4.00 – Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Access (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 5.00 – Minimum Creditable Coverage
- Final Regulations 6.00 – Determining Affordability for the Individual Mandate
- Final Regulations 7.00 – Small Group Wellness Incentive Program
- Final Regulations 8.00 – Student Health Insurance Program
- Final Regulations 9.00 – Employer Surcharge for State Funded Health Costs (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 10.00 – Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 11.00 – Employer Fair Share Contribution (Repealed)
- Final Regulations 12.00 – Eligibility, Enrollment, and Hearing Process for Connector Programs
- Final Regulations 13.00 – Risk Adjustment Procedures for Small and Non-Group Market
Administrative Bulletins
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-24: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations For Calendar Year 2025
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-24: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the End of the Medicaid Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and National Emergency for Calendar Year 2024
- Administrative Information Bulletin 04-23: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations For Calendar Year 2024: Preventive Health Services and Grandfathered Plans
- Administrative Information Bulletin 03-23: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations for Calendar Year 2024
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-23: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the End of the Medicaid Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and National Emergency
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-23: Guidance Regarding Timelines to Appeal Appealable Actions Taken by the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority
- Administrative Information Bulletin 04-22: Guidance Regarding a Special Enrollment Period for Enrollees in Healthcare Products Marketed and Sold by Benefytt Technologies, Inc. and Its Subsidiaries
- Administrative Information Bulletin 03-22: Prohibition on Use of Health Connector Resources to Provide Assistance to Another State Regarding Investigation into Reproductive Health Services
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-22: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations For Calendar Year 2023
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-22: Guidance Regarding a Special Enrollment Period for Enrollees in Salvasen Health, LLC, Plans
- Administrative Information Bulletin 06-21: For Calendar Year 2022 Amendment to Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations
- Administrative Information Bulletin 05-21: Guidance Regarding a Special Enrollment Period for Individuals Enrolled in COBRA/Mini-COBRA Coverage Who Lose the Premium Subsidy Authorized by the American Rescue Plan
- Administrative Information Bulletin 04-21: Amendment, Based on the American Rescue Plan, to Administrative Bulletin 02-21 Guidance Regarding Extension of Open Enrollment for Calendar Year 2021 Via Special Enrollment Period Due to the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 03-21: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-21: Amendment to Administrative Bulletin 01-21 Guidance Regarding Extension of Open Enrollment for Calendar Year 2021 Due to the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-21: Guidance Regarding Extension of Open Enrollment for Calendar Year 2021 Via Special Enrollment Period Due to the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 06-20: Amendment to Administrative Bulletin 04-20 Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the Emergence of the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 05-20: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations For Calendar Year 2021
- Administrative Information Bulletin 04-20: Amendment to Administrative Bulletin 03-20 Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the Emergence of the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 03-20: Amendment to Administrative Bulletin 02-20 Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the Emergence of the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-20: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods Due to the Emergence of the Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, Which Causes the Disease COVID-19
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-20: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations for Calendar Year 2020
- Administrative Information Bulletin 02-19: Guidance Regarding a Special Enrollment Period for Members of Aliera Healthcare, Inc.
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-19: Guidance Regarding a Special Enrollment Period for Consumers Currently or Formerly Enrolled in a Plan Sold by Simple Health Plans, LLC
- Administrative Information Bulletin 01-18: Guidance Regarding Emergency Premium Waivers and Special Enrollment Periods for Persons Affected by Gas Explosion in Affected Communities
- Administrative Bulletin 02-17: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Out-of-Pocket Maximums
- Administrative Bulletin 01-17: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods
- Administrative Bulletin 03-15: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods
- Administrative Bulletin 02-15: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods
- Administrative Bulletin 01-15: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods
- Administrative Bulletin 01-14: Guidance Regarding Special Enrollment Periods
- Administrative Bulletin 05-13: Guidance Regarding Amendments to the Student Health Insurance Program
- Administrative Bulletin 04-13: Guidance Regarding Student Health Insurance Program Reporting
- Administrative Bulletin 03-13: Changes for Employers Regarding Section 125 Plans and Other Policies
- Administrative Bulletin 02-13: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Certification
- Administrative Bulletin 01-13: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Regulations On and After January 1, 2014
- Administrative Bulletin 03-10: Guidance Regarding M.G.L. c. 111M and M.G.L. c. 176Q as implemented by 956 CMR 6.00
- Administrative Bulletin 02-10: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Certification
- Administrative Bulletin 01-10: Waivers for Individuals Supporting Families in or from Haiti
- Administrative Bulletin 02-09: Guidance Regarding M.G.L. c. 111M and M.G.L. c. 176Q as implemented by 956 CMR 6.00
- Administrative Bulletin 01-09: Guidance Regarding the Commonwealth Care Bridge Program
- Administrative Bulletin 01-08: Guidance Regarding Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) Certification
- Administrative Bulletin 02-08: Guidance Regarding M.G.L.c. 111M and M.G.L.c. 176Q, as implemented by 956 CMR 6.00
- Administrative Bulletin 05-07: Guidance Regarding the 2007 Individual Mandate Penalty
- Administrative Bulletin 04-07: Minimum Creditable Coverage Standards
- Administrative Bulletin 03-07: Section 125 Filing Requirement
- Administrative Bulletin 02-07: Section 125
- Memo Regarding Administrative Bulletin 02-07
- Administrative Bulletin 01-07: Commonwealth Care Procedures (Withdrawn 06/10/2009)