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So far Health Connector has created 205 blog entries.

Massachusetts Health Connector Offers Plans with No Premiums to Residents on Unemployment in 2021

August 19, 2021 –Massachusetts residents who have received unemployment compensation at any point in 2021 are eligible for a health insurance plan through the Massachusetts Health Connector with no premium payments through the end of the year, regardless of their income. The availability of plans without premiums for people who’ve been on unemployment benefits at any point in 2021 is part of the federal American Rescue Plan, and makes available commercial health insurance plans that deliver quality benefits. Along with no premium payments, the plans for people who’ve been on unemployment have no deductible, and very affordable co-pays. “The Health Connector is pleased to be able to offer zero-dollar premium, high-quality coverage to Massachusetts residents who have experienced lost employment and income this year due to COVID-19,” said Audrey Gasteier, the Chief of Strategy and Policy at the Massachusetts Health Connector. “Residents who do not have health insurance and who have been on unemployment at any point this year can have the peace of mind of being covered, and not have to worry about making monthly premium payments for the rest of the year.” The plans are available to people who received unemployment for at least one week at any point in 2021 – even if they are no longer receiving checks right now. These plans are part of the Health Connector’s ConnectorCare program, which uses state and federal subsidies to make health insurance more affordable to low- and moderate-income residents. Along with the no-premium plans for people who are [...]

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August 10, 2021 Webinar Recording: Need health insurance? New savings are here through the Health Connector

Video Download Presentation PDF Download Presentation American Rescue Plan & Health Connector Coverage The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 helps lower health insurance premiums for Health Connector members and provides new help paying for health insurance premiums for people who’ve never qualified before. Learn more and find frequently asked questions→ Questions & Answers Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is used to determine your eligibility for subsidies through the Health Connector. More information and a form to assist you in calculating your annual projected income can be found below. Questions in the application will guide you through the information that you need to supply. In general, we recommend that you read the tooltips in the application if you have questions.  It’s also helpful to have a copy of your most recent tax return handy so that you can compare your   income or account for deductions that you might also have for 2021. Get full details at https://www.mahealthconnector.org/how-do-i-answer-questions-about-income Estimating your income while on unemployment can be difficult as your employment status may change, and for that reason we encourage people to return to their application any time they have a change in circumstances, including a change in their income. When estimating your yearly/annual income, combine the income you earned in 2020 (or expect to earn in 2021) prior to becoming unemployed with your weekly unemployment benefit amount for the duration of the expected unemployed period (up to 39 [...]

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July 13, 2021 Webinar Recording: Need health insurance? New savings are here through the Health Connector

Video Download Presentation PDF Download Presentation American Rescue Plan & Health Connector Coverage The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 helps lower health insurance premiums for Health Connector members and provides new help paying for health insurance premiums for people who’ve never qualified before. Learn more and find frequently asked questions→ Questions & Answers Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is used to determine your eligibility for subsidies through the Health Connector. More information and a form to assist you in calculating your annual projected income can be found below. Questions in the application will guide you through the information that you need to supply. In general, we recommend that you read the tooltips in the application if you have questions.  It’s also helpful to have a copy of your most recent tax return handy so that you can compare your   income or account for deductions that you might also have for 2021. Get full details at https://www.mahealthconnector.org/how-do-i-answer-questions-about-income Estimating your income while on unemployment can be difficult as your employment status may change, and for that reason we encourage people to return to their application any time they have a change in circumstances, including a change in their income. When estimating your yearly/annual income, combine the income you earned in 2020 (or expect to earn in 2021) prior to becoming unemployed with your weekly unemployment benefit amount for the duration of the expected unemployed period (up to 39 [...]

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How the American Rescue Plan helps Massachusetts residents on unemployment save on health insurance

Video The American Rescue Plan delivers new and expanded subsidies to hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts through the Health Connector to help lower the cost of their health insurance. Now, people who were eligible for unemployment benefits at least one week in 2021 may qualify for a low- or $0 premium plan with the Health Connector through the end of 2021. Learn more and see frequent asked questions → Additional Resources Resource download page (Shopping Guides, Guide to Subsidies, ConnectorCare Overview, Standardized QHPs) Health Connector Provider and Prescription search tool Enrollment Assistance search Customer service information

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June 15, 2021 Webinar Recording: Need health insurance? New savings are here through the Health Connector

Video Download Presentation PDF Download Presentation American Rescue Plan & Health Connector Coverage The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 helps lower health insurance premiums for Health Connector members and provides new help paying for health insurance premiums for people who’ve never qualified before. Learn more and find frequently asked questions→ Questions & Answers Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is used to determine your eligibility for subsidies through the Health Connector. More information and a form to assist you in calculating your annual projected income can be found below. Questions in the application will guide you through the information that you need to supply. In general, we recommend that you read the tooltips in the application if you have questions.  It’s also helpful to have a copy of your most recent tax return handy so that you can compare your   income or account for deductions that you might also have for 2021. Get full details at https://www.mahealthconnector.org/how-do-i-answer-questions-about-income Estimating your income while on unemployment can be difficult as your employment status may change, and for that reason we encourage people to return to their application any time they have a change in circumstances, including a change in their income. When estimating your yearly/annual income, combine the income you earned in 2020 (or expect to earn in 2021) prior to becoming unemployed with your weekly unemployment benefit amount for the duration of the expected unemployed period (up to 39 [...]

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Massachusetts Health Connector and member carriers agree to carry over out-of-pocket costs for mid-year moves to access new lower premiums on-exchange

Agreement allows carrier members to access to lower Health Connector premiums as a result of the American Rescue Plan without resetting deductibles in 2021 May 20, 2021 – All nine health insurance carriers who participate in the Massachusetts Health Connector have agreed to let their off-exchange members move from an off-exchange plan to an exchange-based plan mid-year without losing spent out-of-pocket costs in 2021. This flexibility can help Massachusetts residents access new lower-cost plans through the Health Connector. The federal American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law in March 2021, creates new premium subsidies for many people who earn more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level (about $51,000), creating lower premiums for plans available through the Health Connector. Someone who currently buys their plan directly through the carrier can seek out the new premium help available only through the Health Connector. If they purchase a plan with the same carrier, the money they have spent on their deductible and other out-of-pocket costs will be credited for money spent so far this year. The Health Connector recently completed a redetermination of more than 11,000 current members who were not receiving subsidy previously. A majority of those people are now eligible for help paying for their health insurance, with average monthly premiums for those eligible dropping 27 percent thanks to savings of $217 per month – or $2,600 a year. “This agreement to carry over out-of-pocket costs for people moving into Health Connector plans will allow thousands of Massachusetts [...]

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May 11, 2021 Webinar Recording: Need health insurance? New savings are here through the Health Connector

Video Download Presentation PDF Download Presentation American Rescue Plan & Health Connector Coverage The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 helps lower health insurance premiums for Health Connector members and provides new help paying for health insurance premiums for people who’ve never qualified before. Learn more and find frequently asked questions→ Questions & Answers Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is used to determine your eligibility for subsidies through the Health Connector. More information and a form to assist you in calculating your annual projected income can be found below. Questions in the application will guide you through the information that you need to supply. In general, we recommend that you read the tooltips in the application if you have questions.  It’s also helpful to have a copy of your most recent tax return handy so that you can compare your   income or account for deductions that you might also have for 2021. Get full details at https://www.mahealthconnector.org/how-do-i-answer-questions-about-income Estimating your income while on unemployment can be difficult as your employment status may change, and for that reason we encourage people to return to their application any time they have a change in circumstances, including a change in their income. When estimating your yearly/annual income, combine the income you earned in 2020 (or expect to earn in 2021) prior to becoming unemployed with your weekly unemployment benefit amount for the duration of the expected unemployed period (up to 39 [...]

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April 15, 2021 Webinar Recording: Need health insurance? New savings are here through the Health Connector

Video Download Presentation PDF Download Presentation American Rescue Plan & Health Connector Coverage The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 helps lower health insurance premiums for Health Connector members and provides new help paying for health insurance premiums for people who’ve never qualified before. Learn more and find frequently asked questions→ Questions & Answers Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is used to determine your eligibility for subsidies through the Health Connector. More information and a form to assist you in calculating your annual projected income can be found below. Questions in the application will guide you through the information that you need to supply. In general, we recommend that you read the tooltips in the application if you have questions.  It’s also helpful to have a copy of your most recent tax return handy so that you can compare your   income or account for deductions that you might also have for 2021. Get full details at https://www.mahealthconnector.org/how-do-i-answer-questions-about-income Estimating your income while on unemployment can be difficult as your employment status may change, and for that reason we encourage people to return to their application any time they have a change in circumstances, including a change in their income. When estimating your yearly/annual income, combine the income you earned in 2020 (or expect to earn in 2021) prior to becoming unemployed with your weekly unemployment benefit amount for the duration of the expected unemployed period (up to 39 [...]

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New Information from the IRS on Tax Relief for People who Received help paying for premium costs through the Health Connector in 2020

Were you were enrolled in coverage through the Health Connector in 2020 and received advance payments of the premium tax credit to help lower the cost of your health insurance premium? If so, the American Rescue Plan—signed into law on March 11, 2021—provides tax relief for people who received more premium tax credits in 2020 than they qualified for and would normally have to pay back when filing their 2020 tax return. For 2020 only, these excess tax credits do not need to be repaid. This relief may affect how you complete your 2020 tax return, which is due May 17, 2021. On April 9, 2021, the IRS released new information explaining how consumers can receive this tax relief, including if they have already filed their tax return or still need to file.  If you have any questions about this tax relief, You can find this new information on the IRS website now. If you have questions about your Health Connector coverage, call customer service at 1-877-623-6765 (TTY 1-877-623-7773 for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled). Or contact a Navigator near you.

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Massachusetts Health Connector to Provide New, Additional Financial Help for Health Insurance Premiums

Extended enrollment to run through July 23 to maximize opportunity for residents to gain access to new premium support March 23, 2021 – The Massachusetts Health Connector will be able to provide hundreds of thousands of people with new and increased help paying for their health insurance premiums as a result of the recently enacted American Rescue Plan, starting for May coverage. The new law will make federal premium subsidies, known as Advance Premium Tax Credits, more generous in two ways: It will increase them for many of the Massachusetts residents who already receive them, and it will make federal premium subsidies available to more people who have never qualified before. Most of the Health Connector’s 270,000 current members, along with new enrollees, will experience lower health premiums for 2021 and 2022 under the new law. Current members who are in ConnectorCare or who receive Advance Premium Tax Credits to reduce their premiums will see even lower premiums starting with their May premium payment. Many other people, both Health Connector members and those who don’t currently purchase through the Health Connector, who previously did not get help paying their premiums will become newly eligible for subsidies and can start to access lower premiums during May, for June coverage. “The changes created by the American Rescue Plan represent the most significant expansion of financial assistance since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010,” said Louis Gutierrez, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. “Massachusetts residents will get more help [...]

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