Last week, the radio program Fortaleciendo la Familia (Strengthening the Family) on WCCM 1490 AM, directed by Rafael Disla, presented an interview about the MassHealth Connector covering all the details of why it is such a valuable system for our community.
Mr. Juan Lopera is an expert on the subject as vice president of marketing and public plans and director of diversity at Tufts Health Plan.
97% of Massachusetts residents are covered by health insurance, which is a high percentage but MassHealth wants to reach families who do not already have it and in many cases, they do not know they are eligible.
“Frequently, we find people who believe that this is Affordable Care,” explained Mr. Lopera. “Affordable Care is the same thing known as ObamaCare, the federal program.” Massachusetts, in its good judgment, has provided a health care program to its residents before the federal program was put into effect. Therefore, the state had to make some adjustments to agree with ObamaCare once established.
The main advantage of the MassHealth Connector is that you can choose from 57 health plans available to families through 9 companies offering them.
The enrollment period began on November 1 and ends on January 23, 2019 and they have launched a campaign called “Stay Covered” to expand the information and ensure that everyone is protected.
Massachusetts residents without health insurance are fined when filing their taxes. It is preferable to go for information, be within the law and probably spend little or nothing.
There are several requirements to enroll in the program. Your legal status in the country is important since you have to be a citizen or legal resident, if you work for a company that does not offer medical insurance, have low income and fill out a form with your Social Security number and data of your children with their ages, among other things. Undocumented people do not have access to MassHealth Connector. There are a number of services available that are applied according to the needs of the family, so it is advisable to visit one of the “navigators” in your community who can help you in that selection.
“What is the cost of family health insurance, on average?” asked Leslie Vidal, co-host of the program.
“From 0 onwards, depending on your economic level since there are subsidies, that is, those that are within 300% of the federal poverty line. If you already receive Medicaid or Medicare you are not eligible for the Health Connector.
You can find more information online at http://MAHealthConnector.org; or by calling the Consumer Service Department 1-877 MAENROLL (1-877-623-6765).
