The right plan. The right time.

If you need insurance, you may qualify for coverage through the Health Connector if you’ve recently lost coverage from another source, such as a job or Medicaid. Apply today and get covered.

ENROLLMENT DEADLINES

Enrollment Deadline Coverage Start Date
February 23 March 1
March 23 April 1
April 23 May 1

Welcome to the Massachusetts Health Connector

If you need insurance, you may qualify for coverage through the Health Connector if you experience a qualifying life event, like losing insurance from a job, that may allow you to get coverage now.

Ready to get started?

If you are applying with the Health Connector for the first time, here’s the steps you need to take to apply and enroll.

Information you may need before you start your application

It will be helpful to have some of this information ready to look at as you fill out your application. Also, you may be asked to send us copies of some of these documents or others if we need more proof from you after you complete your application.

PLANS OFFERED THROUGH THE HEALTH CONNECTOR

Frequently Asked Questions

If you get health coverage through the Health Connector already, be sure to report your income change so that your account is up to date. If your income has dropped, you may be able to qualify for lower-cost health insurance. You can find detailed instructions for updating your income on our website, including information about how to enter any unemployment income you may have.

If you don’t have health insurance, or if you have health insurance that you bought somewhere other than the Health Connector, now is a good time to look at your options to see if you can find a more affordable plan. Apply now →

If you lose your employer health coverage because you leave a job or are working fewer hours, you may be offered COBRA. If you decide to take COBRA, you will be able to stay covered through the health insurance benefits that you had through your employer for a limited period of time. However, you may need to pay your entire plan premium, up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan. This means the plan will likely be much more expensive than what you were paying when your employer was contributing to the cost. In addition to COBRA, you may be offered other options to continue your health coverage through your job, such as MiniCOBRA for smaller businesses or temporary continuation and conversion coverage.

Before making a decision about continuing your current benefits, you may want to try applying through the Health Connector to see if you qualify for a more affordable coverage option. After you apply, you will be able to see the available health plans and their costs and check to see which doctors and hospitals are in plan networks before you decide to enroll. People who are over age 65 or who have disabilities may also want to explore Medicare to see if that is a better option.

When you apply online, you will be able to find out right away if you qualify for benefits and financial help through the Health Connector or through MassHealth (Medicaid).

Most people who apply find that they qualify for some form of help paying for their health insurance. Many people can qualify for a low-cost ConnectorCare plan through the Health Connector. ConnectorCare plans have $0 or low-monthly costs, no deductible, and low out-of-pocket costs for services like doctor visits. Even if your income is too high for a ConnectorCare plan, you may still be able to get help paying for health insurance. There are tax credits that can help lower the cost of your plan.

If you decide to take COBRA , you may be able to take advantage of the Health Care Tax Credit administered by the IRS if you have qualifying coverage. The Health Care Tax Credit is different from the Advance Premium Tax Credits you can get through the Health Connector. You cannot get financial help through the Health Connector if you decide to take COBRA.

Be sure to pay close attention to information from your employer about when your health coverage ends so that you can plan ahead with as little of a gap in coverage as possible. Health Connector plans always start on the 1st of the month. You will need to apply, choose a plan, and complete your enrollment by the 23rd of the month for your Health Connector plan to start the following month. For example, if you want to enroll for May 1, you would need to apply and enroll by April 23.

If you have a gap before your coverage starts, you may be covered for health care you receive at certain hospitals and community health centers through the Health Safety Net. Your eligibility letter will tell you if you are automatically eligible for the Health Safety Net because of your income. People who do not automatically qualify for Health Safety Net may still be able to get their hospital and community health center care covered if the care is costly. Learn more here →

If you want to get health coverage through the Health Connector, you will have 60 days from the date that your employer health plan ends to enroll. However, to avoid a gap in coverage, it’s best to apply as soon as possible.

Losing your employer coverage is considered a qualifying life event, which gives you a 60-day special enrollment period for enrolling outside of the Health Connector’s Open Enrollment period. Once your special enrollment period is over, you may not be able to enroll through the Health Connector again until the next Open Enrollment period.

If you are offered COBRA through your employer, you typically have 60 days to decide if you want to enroll. However, in response to the coronavirus health crisis, this time period has been temporarily extended. Please visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s FAQs to find out how the temporary extension may impact you.

If there were other people enrolled with you in your job-based plan, such as family members, not everyone will have to make the same decision. For example, some household members could choose COBRA while others could enroll through the Health Connector.

If you enroll in COBRA, you may end up missing your earliest opportunity to enroll through the Health Connector. This is why it’s important that you weigh your options before choosing COBRA. If you wait longer than 60 days from the end of your employer health coverage, you may have to wait until the next Health Connector Open Enrollment period to enroll. If you’re interested in Health Connector coverage, it’s best to apply before you make a decision about COBRA.

COBRA usually covers people after a job loss for up to 18 months. If you’ve already enrolled with COBRA and are at the end of your COBRA coverage, this would be considered another qualifying event and would give you another 60-day special enrollment period through the Health Connector. However, if your COBRA ends early because you stopped paying your premium, this would not be considered a qualifying event. If you are still within your 60-day special enrollment period that started after you lost your employer coverage, you can end COBRA early and enroll with the Health Connector.

You can find more information about applying in our Getting Started Guide.  Please call us at 1-877-623-6765 (TTY 1-877-623-7773) if you have questions or need help.

Even if you’ve been furloughed, if your employer offers you health coverage that is considered affordable, you won’t be able to get a health plan with financial help through the Health Connector.

Affordability of a plan is based on the cost of the plan as a percentage (part) of your income. If your income is lower now because you’ve been furloughed, the plan may not be considered affordable to you now, even if it was in the past. You can enter information about your current income and your employer health plan in our online tool to check to see if the plan is currently considered affordable by law.

If your employer is no longer offering health coverage, or if the plan offered through your job is not considered affordable, you may be able to get financial help through the Health Connector. This is true whether or not you are furloughed.

If you decide to end the health plan from your job and enroll through the Health Connector, please make sure to talk to your employer first. You will need to let them know about the new health plan you are enrolling in before you end your current plan.

FREE enrollment help is available!

You can call Health Connector Customer service at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765), or TTY 1-877-623-7773 for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. Or, call a state-certified Navigator where you will find enrollment experts who can help you understand your coverage options and find the most affordable coverage that meets your needs.

Find a certified enrollment expert near you →