KB Category Shopping for Plans

Your coverage end date and renewing your coverage

When you buy health and dental insurance through the Health Connector, your coverage period ends on December 31 regardless of your coverage start date. But, don’t worry. You have the opportunity to review coverage each year during the Open Enrollment period. Before your coverage end date for the year, you will get letters in the mail that will let you know about your coverage options for the next year. Your plan renewal information will tell you if your plan will be available for the next year, or, if it is not, will give your information about the new plan you are matched to. During open enrollment you can shop for a different plan, even if the plan you have is available. By shopping during open enrollment, you may be able to find plans with lower costs. If your plan is available for the next year and you do not want to change it, then all you have to do is continue to pay your monthly premium. About plan premiums It is important to know that plan premiums change each year. Premiums are calculated based on The ages of covered household members, The number of people covered on the plan, Where you live, and Rates set by health insurers, approved by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance If you are eligible for savings that help lower your monthly premium cost, this may change, too. For example, if you are eligible for an Advance Premium Tax Credit, how much you are eligible for [...]

How to get information about a plan (shopping for plans)

When you are shopping on the Health Connector’s website for a health plan, it’s important to look at a number of things, including: Your monthly plan premium Your plan’s yearly deductible Your maximum out-of-pocket costs What prescription drugs are covered and how much you will pay What is covered and how much you will pay if you see a doctor or go to the emergency room If your provider, or doctor, accepts the plan You can find this information on each plan’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). This is where you can find the most comprehensive information on any plan. To see a plan’s SBC while you are browsing for plans, go to the plan detail page. At the bottom of the page are links to Plan Documents. You can find SBCs there. Additionally, when you are selecting a plan, it is very important that you check that your doctor is in that plan’s network (a network is the group of providers that participate with a certain health plan). You will find links to health plan websites on the Health Connector website. Be sure to visit the Provider Search tool before enrolling in a plan to ensure that your doctors and hospitals will be available to you.

Dental coverage end dates

If you purchase dental insurance, your coverage always ends one year after your enrollment date. For example, if your dental coverage start date is June 1, 2016, your coverage end date will be May 31, 2017. However, some members enrolled in dental coverage will see a coverage end date of December 31, 2016 in the online application, which may not be correct. The Health Connector is aware of this error and is working hard to fix it. If at any time you are not sure of your dental coverage end date, please look at the information you received from your dental carrier, or you can call Health Connector Customer Service at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), or TTY 711 for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled.

How to change the amount of tax credit you use

If you are eligible for an Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC), the amount of the tax credit that you apply to your plan’s premium cost cannot be more than your total premium amount. So, when you are shopping for a plan and select a tax credit amount to lower your premium cost, please make sure it is less than or equal to the premium that is shown even if you have unused APTC available. To change your APTC amount, while you are shopping for plans: Click the “Change Tax Credit” link in the top paragraph of the page that explains what the Advance Premium Tax Credit is and how much you are eligible for. When you click the link, it will open a modal window in the web webpage that includes a slider to increase or lower the amount of tax credit you want to apply to your monthly premium. Then, click “Save” to save your changes.

Make a payment in-person

You can make a payment by check or money order in-person at one of our customer service walk-in centers during normal business hours: Walk-in center locations: Boston 133 Portland Street, 1st Floor Boston, MA 02114 Worcester 146 Main Street, Suite 201/202 Worcester, MA 01608 Springfield 88 Industry Avenue Springfield, MA 01104 Please note only payments by check or money order are accepted at this time. Payments by cash, credit, and debit card payments cannot be accepted. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Make a payment by mail

You will get an invoice within 3–5 business days after you choose your plan and can mail a check or money order for the full amount of your premium payment to the Health Connector, or bring it in-person to one of our walk-in centers. Mail a check or money order made payable to “Health Connector” along with the payment coupon from your invoice to: Health ConnectorP.O. BOX 412612Boston, MA 02241-2612 Please, remember to check your payment due date on your invoice.

How to purchase a stand-alone dental plan

Individuals and families who only want to purchase a dental plan can apply for coverage and view plans anonymously, but need to call customer service to enroll. You will not be able to purchase a stand-alone dental plan online without also purchasing a health plan, but customer service support is in place to allow you to enroll over the phone. If you want to purchase a stand-alone dental plan without purchasing a health plan, please follow these steps: Complete an online eligibility application Preview dental plans and find a plan you would like to purchase from your available options Once you have identified a plan, contact Health Connector Customer Service to purchase your stand-alone dental plan over the phone. Call 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), or TTY 711 for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. Find out more about dental plans now →