Health Connector - Massachusetts Health Connector

Health insurance words to know

Not really sure what an HMO really is? Do you only “Kinda, sorta” understand deductibles? Health insurance seems to have a language of its own and you want to be sure you’re choosing the right plan. Here, we’ll try to help you by explaining some of the most common terms you’ll see while you’re shopping for insurance. Co-insurance If a health care service has co-insurance, you pay a percentage (part) of the cost for that service. Usually, you start to pay co-insurance after you meet your deductible. It is not a fixed cost like a co-pay. The amount you pay depends on the total cost of the service. Co-pay A fixed price you pay when you get certain health care services. Not all services require a co-pay. Deductible The total amount you must pay in a plan year before your plan will pay for part or all of your services. Some services may not have a deductible. They may be free or just have a co-pay, even though you haven’t met the deductible yet. HMO HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization. If you choose a plan that is an HMO, you must use in-network providers in order to get your services covered. If you go to an out-of-network provider, the plan won’t cover the cost of your care, except in an emergency. If you enroll in [...]

Massachusetts Health Connector completes successful Open Enrollment with stable membership, providing affordable, quality coverage to 250,000 members

BOSTON – February 8, 2018 – The Massachusetts Health Connector finished Open Enrollment on Jan. 23 with stable membership, despite premium increases that occurred as a result of federal policy changes just weeks before the start of Open Enrollment. As of Feb. 1, the Health Connector had 252,786 people in health coverage for February enrollments, compared to 246,831 as of Feb. 1 last year. In October, less than a month before the start of Open Enrollment, the Health Connector and the Division of Insurance allowed carriers to use increased premiums for some Silver tier plans sold through the Health Connector, in order to maintain market stability in the face of the federal government’s decision to stop making cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to carriers. That decision meant that many unsubsidized Health Connector members faced premium increases averaging 26 percent higher than 2017. The Health Connector encouraged shopping for less expensive plans on the exchange, and also assisted members who chose to leave the exchange for similar, lower-cost plans through their carrier. “Our goal every Open Enrollment is to expand access to affordable coverage to people who do not have health insurance, and to ensure that our current members are able to maintain quality coverage that best suits their needs,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. We were able to not only help thousands of people get new health insurance through the Health Connector, but also help tens of thousands of others maintain coverage, even if [...]

Join the Massachusetts Health Connector for a “Day of Coverage” January 18, 2018

On Thursday, January 18, 2018, the Massachusetts Health Connector is embarking on a one-day, multi-city tour that includes stops at six locations across the Commonwealth to remind Massachusetts residents there is still time to get 2018 health coverage before the last day of Open Enrollment, which is January 23. Teams from the Health Connector with Archipelago Strategies Group, Navigator organizations, local businesses, and local health care leaders and will be hitting the road visiting 6 locations around the state as part of the "Day of Coverage" to remind Massachusetts residents that there's still time to get health insurance for 2018. The tour is days away from the January 23, 2018 deadline to enroll in coverage through the Health Connector that starts February 1, 2018. At each stop, the teams will be speaking with local residents, placing enrollment signs at local businesses, and answer questions about the benefits of getting health insurance through the Health Connector that includes ConnectorCare, which provides plans with low premiums and co-pays, and no deductibles, to those who qualify. Plus, there is a free Open Enrollment event in Lawrence with Navigator organization Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. where residents can sign up for coverage with an enrollment expert. See more details below. Here's where we'll be throughout the day on January 18th. We hope you'll join us, or help spread the word. Day of Coverage Locations & Times Quincy Quincy Center Red Line MBTA Station TIME: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 [...]

Join the Massachusetts Health Connector for a “Day of Coverage” December 18, 2017

On Monday, December 18, 2017, the Massachusetts Health Connector is embarking on a one-day, multi-city tour that includes stops at six locations across the Commonwealth to remind Massachusetts residents there is still time to get 2018 health coverage. Teams from the Health Connector with Archipelago Strategies Group, Navigator organizations, local businesses, and local health care leaders and will be hitting the road visiting 6 locations around the state as part of the "Day of Coverage" to remind Massachusetts residents that there's still time to get health insurance for 2018. The tour is days away from the December 23, 2017 deadline to enroll in coverage through the Health Connector that starts January 1, 2018. At each stop, the teams will be speaking with local residents, placing enrollment signs at local businesses, and answer questions about the benefits of getting health insurance through the Health Connector that includes ConnectorCare, which provides plans with low premiums and co-pays, and no deductibles, to those who qualify. Plus, there is a free Open Enrollment event in Fall River with Navigator organization SSTAR Family HealthCare Center from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. where residents can sign up for coverage with an enrollment expert. See more details below. Here's where we'll be throughout the day on December 18th. We hope you'll join us, or help spread the word. Day of Coverage Locations & Times Dorchester Field’s Corner Red Line MBTA Station, Dorchester TIME: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. A team will be handing out coffee, donuts, and [...]

Reminder: Massachusetts Health Connector Deadline for January 2018 Coverage is Dec. 23

BOSTON – December 11, 2017 – Massachusetts residents who want health insurance have until Dec. 23 to sign up for coverage through the Massachusetts Health Connector, which holds Open Enrollment longer than the federal government. While the deadline for states that use the federal Healthcare.gov portal is Friday, Dec. 15, since Massachusetts is a state-based exchange, the Health Connector uses different deadlines. For people who want to start the new year with health insurance or change their plan for 2018, the deadline to select and pay for the plan is Saturday, Dec. 23. Residents seeking 2018 coverage can go to MAhealthconnector.org to apply and pick a plan. “December 23 is our most important deadline of the year, as new applicants get into coverage and our current members review their plan status for 2018, and it’s important that people know that they have more time in Massachusetts beyond the federal deadline,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. “We understand how important it is to have health insurance – for people to be able to go to the doctor and have it cost them less to be healthy – and we want to extend to them every opportunity to sign up.” Throughout Open Enrollment, the Health Connector is providing full outreach and support services to Massachusetts residents as it has in past years. This includes an Open Enrollment period that runs through Jan. 23, 2018 (for coverage starting in February 2018), fully supporting 16 Navigator organizations throughout [...]

Massachusetts Health Connector Members and New Applicants Take Early Action at Start of 2018 Open Enrollment

BOSTON – November 20, 2017 – With a stable system and user process complemented by a proactive outreach and education effort, the Massachusetts Health Connector has seen members and new applicants more active in the first two weeks of Open Enrollment compared to last year. Through Nov. 15, plans selected and enrollments are more than 40 percent higher than last year at the same time, new program determinations for Health Connector are up nearly 70 percent, and plans selected and enrollments by new members are up more than 15 percent. “It is encouraging to see people hearing our message to shop for new coverage, and taking early advantage of Open Enrollment and finding the plan that best fits their needs for the new year,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. “We hope all of our current members take time to review their coverage for next year, and people who don’t currently have health insurance sign up so they have the health and financial security that comes with having coverage next year.” In the first 15 days of Open Enrollment, 26,343 people selected a plan or enrolled by paying their first premium for 2018, compared to 18,695 in the first 15 days of last year’s Open Enrollment. Of those plan selections and enrollments, 7,219 people are getting new coverage through the Health Connector, compared to 6,200 last year. So far in the first 15 days of Open Enrollment, 15,713 new people were determined eligible for Health [...]

Baker-Polito Administration Secures Additional Year of Flexibility to Maintain Health Insurance Market Stability for Small Businesses

BOSTON – November 13, 2018 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced it has secured from the U.S. Department of Human Services the flexibility to extend another year the existing use of small group rating factors to hold down premium increases and maintain stability in the market for small employers. The rating factors are permitted under state law, but are not aligned with requirements under federal law. Through a series of requests to the federal government, the Commonwealth has been able to maintain those state rating factors in order to avoid market disruption and maintain premium consistency for small employers. “We thank our federal partners for authorizing the continued use of state rating factors to provide stability and stabilize premium costs for small businesses in Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With this important flexibility in place, we can continue to provide predictability to the market and continue to make health insurance more affordable to companies and their employees.” Massachusetts received a waiver in 2013 to allow a gradual transition to full compliance with the Affordable Care Act, and the waiver recognized the success of Massachusetts’ state health reform law passed in 2006 in expanding coverage. Massachusetts has the highest insured rate in the nation, with 97.5 percent of residents covered, an achievement supported by the latitude to continue some state insurance practices, such as rating factors permitted under state law. These state rating factors offer insurers greater flexibility to price insurance plans according to the traditional practices of the Massachusetts market, [...]

Health Connector Starts Open Enrollment 2018 With Full Range of Outreach and Support Activities

BOSTON – November 1, 2017 – The Massachusetts Health Connector starts Open Enrollment 2018 today, providing members and new applicants the opportunity to pick a health insurance plan for the New Year, and officially kicking off a full-scale, statewide outreach and education campaign. Massachusetts has the highest insured rate in the country, with 97.5 percent of the state’s residents covered according to the U.S. Census. The lead up to Open Enrollment has created national concern about outreach activities, particularly in states that are part of the federal government Exchange. Consistent with the Commonwealth’s mission to support access to affordable health coverage for everyone, the campaign emphasizes outreach and visibility in communities with higher uninsured rates. “Massachusetts is a leader in coverage and we remain committed to reaching everyone and providing access to health care to everyone,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. “Through our Navigators, community-based outreach, enrollment events and other methods, we are bringing the same energy to Open Enrollment as we have in past years.” Open Enrollment starts on Nov. 1, and runs through Jan. 23, 2018, longer than the Nov. 1-Dec. 15 federal deadline, and is consistent with past Massachusetts Open Enrollment periods. The Health Connector is planning a number of other outreach and enrollment support activities this year that mirrors the Exchange’s past commitment to comprehensive Open Enrollment activities. The Health Connector will fully fund the second year of its two-year grant cycle commitment to Navigators, supporting 16 agencies across the [...]

Massachusetts Health Connector Launches First Phase Of New Small-Business Online Portal

BOSTON – August 15, 2017 – The Massachusetts Health Connector today launched the first phase of its new small-group website, creating a system that will make it easier for employers and brokers to manage information and plans, and for employees to select coverage. Health Connector for Business will deliver new tools and benefits to brokers, employers and employees, making it easier to manage a company’s health insurance offering and delivering new options to businesses and employees. “We are pleased with the successful launch of the first phase of the Health Connector for Business website, and look forward to adding additional choices between carriers this November,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. “We are excited by the benefits and opportunity the new platform will deliver to our current participating companies, and those that come on board next year.” The new platform was developed through a unique partnership with the Washington, D.C., Health Benefit Exchange Authority, the health insurance Exchange in Washington, D.C. Through this partnership, the Health Connector uses a separate branch of the DC Health Link’s existing online platform to improve offering to small businesses and their employees, while reducing long-term operational costs for the small-group online system. The first phase launched today includes access to plans from three carriers, Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Fallon Community Health Plan and Health New England. Businesses renewing coverage this fall will transfer to the new system, and new groups can use the system to select plans from [...]

Massachusetts Health Connector and DC Health Link Create a First-in-the-Nation Partnership

The Health Connector Board of Directors today approved a first-in-the-nation collaboration with DCHBX, which manages and operates DC Health Link, the online health insurance marketplace in the District of Columbia. Through this partnership, starting this fall the Health Connector will use a separate branch of DC Health Link’s existing online platform to improve available offerings to small businesses and their employees – including the ability for employees to potentially select their own plan from a range of choices – while reducing long-term operational costs for the small-group online system.

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