ConnectorCare plans are a set of plans that offer lower monthly premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs, because they are partially paid for by the state. If you qualify for a ConnectorCare plan, you will be able to get the most savings possible. Learn more about ConnectorCare plans
All of the health plans offered provide full health benefits, including visits to the doctor or hospital, and prescriptions. The Health Connector’s plans are described below using metallic terms to make it easier for you to compare them. Platinum plans have the highest premium, but the lowest co-pays and deductibles. Gold and Silver plans have lower premiums, but higher co-pays and deductibles. Bronze plans have the lowest premiums, but the highest co-pays and deductibles. Each health plan also has different doctors, hospitals, and other providers in its networks.
An Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) is a federal tax credit that is calculated on a per tax household basis. If you are eligible to receive APTC, you may use it right away to lower what you pay for your monthly health plan premiums. Households who qualify can take the tax credit as advance payments to lower their monthly health plan premiums, making insurance more affordable.The maximum amount of APTC a tax household is eligible for is calculated and adjusted according to income, family size and the value of the second-lowest cost Silver Plan that all members of your shopping group is eligible for.In order to use APTC, you must enroll in a plan through the Health Connector. Once you enroll, you can control how much of your tax credit you want to use to help pay your monthly health plan premiums. The premium tax credit is sent directly to your insurance company each month and applied to your premium, so you pay less out of your own pocket.Download the Guide to Subsidies (PDF) → Massachusetts Health Connector health insurance plans are sold in four levels of coverage: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. As the metal category increases in value, so does the percentage of medical expenses that a health insurance plan covers compared with what you are expected to pay in co-pays and deductibles. On average, Platinum-level plans cover 90 percent of health care costs, and you pay 10 percent; Gold plans cover 80 percent, while [...]
National health reform includes new responsibilities and opportunities for employers. The law provides incentives to help make offering health insurance coverage to workers easier and, in some cases, more affordable. The ACA helps level the playing field for Massachusetts’ employers, setting nationwide standards for benefits and consumer protections that had already been required or commonplace in the Commonwealth.
The ACA provides additional tools for covering workers, which can help Massachusetts employers ensure that their workforces have the health insurance they need. For example: National health reform established new tax credits for certain small employers to make it more affordable to cover their employees (eligible employers can achieve even greater savings by using these tax credits in tandem with participating in the Health Connector’s ConnectWell program, which qualifies them for an additional 15 percent premium discount) Very low-income employees who cannot afford their employer’s coverage may be newly eligible for MassHealth (Massachusetts’ Medicaid program) without penalties for employers The ACA newly offers “one-stop” shopping for medical and dental coverage through the Health Connector The ACA invests in initiatives and innovations designed to improve the health care delivery system, which will create a healthier workforce and cost savings for Massachusetts’ employers In 2017, the Health Connector began offering small businesses new ways to offer health insurance to their employees, including options that allow the business to offer a number of plans to employees.
The Affordable Care Act established new tax credits for certain small employers to make it more affordable to cover their employees. Eligible employers can achieve even greater savings by using these tax credits in tandem with participating in the Health Connector’s new ConnectWell program, which qualifies them for up to an additional 15 percent premium rebate. Employers can get up to a 50 percent federal tax credit when they buy health insurance through the Health Connector, if they: have 25 or fewer full-time employees, and pay average annual wages below $50,000, and pay at least half of the premiums for employee health insurance. The Health Connector also exclusively offers ConnectWell, a free program offered to eligible employers enrolled in a small business group health plan through the Health Connector. Employers who are not the sole owner and employee of a company and who have fewer than 25 employees total are eligible for the program. Eligible employers who participate may qualify for a ConnectWell rebate of up to 15 percent on their group’s health insurance premium contribution for coverage purchased through the Health Connector.
