The 2014 Open Enrollment Period Ends March 31, 2014. Find Out What You Need To Do!

The open enrollment period for purchasing health coverage ends March 31, 2014. If you are applying for coverage without help paying for costs, Monday, March 24, was the last day to apply and select a plan in order to enroll in coverage beginning April 1, 2014. You can still apply and select a plan through March 31 to enroll in coverage beginning May 1 or June 1, 2014. Get started now →

• Are you applying for coverage without help paying for costs for the first time?
• Are you applying for coverage with help paying for costs for the first time?
• Are you a Commonwealth Care or Network Health Extend Member?
• Are you enrolled in the temporary coverage program?
• Are you a Commonwealth Choice member who received a Fast Path enrollment packet?
• Are you a Commonwealth Choice member who did not receive a Fast Path enrollment packet?

Are you applying for coverage without help paying for costs for the first time?

The deadline for choosing a plan that begins on April 1 was March 24. People who chose a plan by the March 24 deadline will have through March 31 to pay their first month’s premium.

Payment can be made by mailing a check or money order* to the Health Connector, P.O. Box 970008, Boston, MA 02297, or by dropping a check off at the Health Connector’s walk-in centers in Boston (133 Portland Street) or Worcester (146 Main Street, Suite 201/202).

*Make sure to include the payment coupon (bottom half of the invoice) in the envelope with your payment.

The deadline for selecting a plan that begins on May 1 or June 1 is March 31, the end of the open enrollment period. If a person chooses coverage that starts May 1, 2014, the payment due date is April 23. If a person chooses coverage that starts June 1, 2014, the payment due date is May 22.

Applications can be completed online, and people with questions can contact the Health Connector’s customer service center at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), TTY 711.

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Are you applying for coverage with help paying for costs?

If you are applying for coverage and are looking for help paying for your health insurance, you can apply at any time during the year at if you miss the March 31 deadline.

If you are determined eligible for ConnectorCare, MassHealth, the Children’s Medical Security Program, or Health Safety Net, you will be able to enroll in that coverage at any time during the year. If you are only determined eligible for tax credits or you are determined not to be eligible for any help paying for the cost of your health insurance, you must have a qualifying event that allows you to shop before the next open enrollment period.

• See a list qualifying events that allow you to shop outside of open enrollment

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Are you a Commonwealth Care or Network Health Extend Member?

Current Commonwealth Care members and Network Health Extend members (former members of the Medical Security Program) don’t need to take any action to continue their coverage through June 30, 2014. You only need to continue paying your monthly premium bill on time and in full, if you have one.

All members should have received a notice in the mail with more information about the extension. Please note that some members may need to move to a different health plan, but will remain covered. These members will receive that update in their notice.

If you already applied for new coverage through the Health Connector, you do not need to submit a new application. Members who already submitted an application will be contacted once their application is processed. You do not need to call and check on the status of your application in the meantime. Once your application is processed, you will be able to learn about your new plan options and enroll in a new plan. Until then, you will remain covered through your current Commonwealth Care or Network Health Extend plan.

But, if you have not applied for new health coverage yet, you still need to do so to avoid a gap in your health insurance coverage when these programs end.

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Are you enrolled in the temporary coverage program?

For members enrolled in the temporary coverage program, this program has also been extended until at least June 30, 2014, for those who are not successfully transitioned to your new coverage before that time. Once your application is processed, you will be able to learn about your new plan options and enroll in a new plan. Until then, you will remain covered with the temporary coverage program.

The temporary coverage program offers you comprehensive health insurance coverage.  In this program, you are covered for all medically necessary services and prescriptions at participating MassHealth providers. Please call MassHealth Customer Service at 1-800-841-2900, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to find out if your doctor is a MassHealth provider.

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Are you a Commonwealth Choice member who received a Fast Path enrollment packet?

If you want to enroll in your Fast Path plan, simply mail your first premium payment by March 31, 2014, along with your new payment coupon (bottom part of the bill) to:

Health Connector
P.O. Box 970008
Boston MA 02297

If you submitted an application for insurance with help paying for costs, but want to enroll in your Fast Path plan, please note that enrolling in the Fast Path plan will not affect your pending application for help paying for costs. Once your application is processed, you will be able to learn about your new plan options and enroll in a new plan.

If you did not choose the Fast Path option and shopped for a new plan without help paying for costsand selected a plan by March 24, you must make your first premium payment no later than March 31 to complete enrollment.

If you are a Commonwealth Choice member and have already applied for insurance with help paying for costs, you may have also been enrolled in temporary coverage as well as received a Fast Path packet.

• For members on temporary coverage who want to enroll in the Fast Path plan, please note that you will no longer have access to temporary coverage if you enroll in the Fast Path plan. However, this will not impact your pending application for help paying for coverage.
• If you want to keep temporary coverage pending your eligibility determination, simply do not mail in the first premium payment for the Fast Path plan. With the temporary coverage program, you are covered for all medically necessary services and prescriptions at participating MassHealth providers. Please call MassHealth Customer Service at 1-800-841-2900, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to find out if your doctor is a MassHealth provider.

In either of these situations, when you receive an eligibility determination, you will be able to enroll in a plan you qualify for.

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Are you a Commonwealth Choice member who did not receive a Fast Path enrollment packet?

Commonwealth Choice members who already submitted an application online during the first week in February or earlier were not eligible to participate in the Fast Path option. Therefore, you have the following options:

• If you submitted an application with help paying for your health insurance, you will receive a notice about your health insurance coverage.
• If you submitted an application without help paying for costs, for coverage effective April 1, 2014, you must have already selected a plan by March 24 and will need to pay your premium by March 31. You can still apply and select a plan through March 31 to enroll in coverage beginning May 1 or June 1, 2014.

If you have not applied for and selected a health plan by March 31st, and you haven’t experienced aqualifying event, your next opportunity to enroll in a health plan is November 15, 2014.

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Need Help?

Contact Us by Phone

If you have any questions or need help with applying, you can get help! Call Customer Service at 1-877 MA ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), TTY: 711 and choose from available options. Support is available in all languages.

Find In-Person Help

You can also contact a Navigator or Certified Application Counselor to make an appointment. These are people who have been trained to help people apply through the Health Connector. You can find a searchable list of Navigators and Certified Application Counselors at BetterMAHealthconnector.org/get-help.

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