August 2024 - The ConnectorCare pilot expansion in Massachusetts has provided over 51,000 residents with access to more affordable health insurance, thanks to increased income eligibility limits from 300 percent to 500 percent of the federal poverty level. This initiative, part of the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget, has resulted in significant cost savings for members, with some saving over $150 monthly on premiums.
The Massachusetts Health Connector provided detailed feedback on the 2025 NBPP proposed rule, voicing strong support for robust network adequacy standards, a permanent special enrollment period (SEP) for low-income individuals, and expanding access to routine adult dental benefits. These measures aim to strengthen consumer protection, reduce barriers to coverage, and enhance access to essential health services.
The Massachusetts Health Connector has voiced strong support for the proposed rule “Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act,” emphasizing the critical need for equal access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits. The proposal comes at a time when the mental health crisis has intensified nationwide and in Massachusetts, with rising rates of psychological distress, substance use disorders, and barriers to care.
The Massachusetts Health Connector submitted a comment letter in support of proposed changes to regulations surrounding Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance (STLDI) and related coverage options. These updates aim to protect consumers and promote equitable access to comprehensive health care.
The Massachusetts Health Connector has voiced its strong support for the proposed rule to expand health coverage eligibility to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. By including DACA recipients as "lawfully present," this rule would grant access to crucial health programs such as Marketplace subsidies, Medicaid, and the Basic Health Program.
The Massachusetts Health Connector submitted a comment letter expressing strong support for the proposed rule, "Coverage of Certain Preventive Services under the Affordable Care Act." This rule aims to expand access to preventive services, including contraception, while addressing exemptions for entities with religious or moral objections.
The Massachusetts Health Connector has submitted its feedback on the proposed 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP) rule, supporting key measures like allowing income attestation flexibility, advancing auto-enrollment policies, and broadening special enrollment period options. These actions aim to enhance coverage access while reducing administrative hurdles that often deter individuals from securing insurance.
The Massachusetts Health Connector has expressed strong support for the proposed rule to reinforce nondiscrimination protections in health programs and activities. Advocating for the inclusion of protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and language proficiency, the Health Connector emphasizes the critical role these measures play in ensuring equitable access to health care for all.
June 2022—Building on the Commonwealth’s state health reform efforts and Affordable Care Act’s success, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) has been instrumental in providing premium relief to state residents, driving 253,000 individuals to enroll with the Health Connector during Open Enrollment (OE) for 2022 coverage. Massachusetts’s bedrock of affordability meant the state had a higher coverage rate than other states as the pandemic began and has largely maintained it over the last two years.
June 2022—In 2021, the passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and its significant advancement of affordable health care induced the Health Connector to extend its Open Enrollment (OE) period. Typically, OE is from November 1 through January 23, but in 2021 was extended until July 23 to allow uninsured residents ample opportunity to access ARP-enhanced subsidies, including more robust Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) and special benefits for members reporting unemployment income. The Health Connector enrolled 87,000 new members in Exchange coverage over the course of the 2021 OE period.
