By Audrey Morse Gasteier
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of Massachusetts residents, and people throughout the country, lost their jobs and the employer health insurance coverage they relied on to stay healthy.
In compliance with federal law, MassHealth – the state’s Medicaid program – was able to provide health insurance to keep people covered during this difficult time. Now following the pandemic, however, MassHealth is in the year-long federally required process of redetermining who remains eligible going forward.
Because income and circumstances may have changed since they first enrolled in MassHealth, many people in East Boston and across the Commonwealth are expected to lose MassHealth coverage over the next year and have become eligible for other coverage options.
MassHealth members will receive a renewal form in a blue envelope in the mail to check their eligibility. All members should complete and return their renewal to receive the best health coverage they are eligible for. Some will remain eligible for MassHealth, and others may be determined eligible for health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector.
The Health Connector provides affordable health and dental coverage to about 275,000 Massachusetts residents who do not already have coverage from an employer, spouse, or other source.
According to projections, communities of color and immigrant populations may be disproportionately impacted during this transition. With its diverse population of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking families, East Boston is a top area of focus for state outreach efforts.
The Health Connector is working to contact and transition as many residents as possible into affordable plans during this time. Through use of local media, health fairs, and targeted person-to-person outreach, Health Connector and its local Navigator partners are working hard to reach people to enroll them into new plans. If you no longer qualify for MassHealth, you may be eligible for subsidized coverage through the Connector.
To make sure that East Boston residents remain covered, the Health Connector has:
• Launched an ongoing multilingual campaign with local Navigators at Boston Public Health Commission to transition MassHealth members into affordable Marketplace plans.
• Planned a ‘Latino Heritage Month Talent Showcase’ Sunday, Sept. 24 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Verónica Robles Cultural Center in East Boston, featuring local Navigators to help enroll participants in health coverage.
For those who need health insurance – whether they are coming from MassHealth, are new to Massachusetts, or need insurance for other reasons – the Health Connector is ready to help.
Many people who are losing MassHealth already have an account at MAhealthconnector.org. They can go into their account, update information, and then select a plan and get enrolled in new coverage. Many people will qualify for help paying for their coverage through subsidized premiums, along with low co-pays and no deductibles for those that qualify for ConnectorCare. Due to a recently announced pilot expansion, more people than ever before are now eligible for ConnectorCare.
For those who need assistance finding the right plan, along with local Navigators, people with questions can call 877-MA-ENROLL (TTY: 877-623-7773) and get help with their application and getting into coverage.
The Health Connector’s goal is to help everyone stay covered so individuals and families can lead happy and healthy lives. Having access to reliable health coverage can make all the difference for a community: from improving physical and mental health, to preventing financial challenges due to medical emergencies.
Over the past several years, Massachusetts has reached record levels of health coverage across populations, age groups, and communities. The Massachusetts Health Connector is proud to be working to maintain those gains in East Boston, and across the Commonwealth.
Audrey Morse Gasteier is executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector.