2) uninsured, and worried about buying health insurance?

Will someone please tell us where we are supposed to get this health insurance?

I have scoured the internet, listened to WBUR and read the newspaper religiously in search of this answer.

They’re not making it easy to conform to the new law.

Thank you

Hi Beth, Being a nurse who works with many low income people I am trying hard, as you are, to learn the specifics of this reform and how people can proceed to meet the new mandate requirements.

As you did, I checked the state websites and below info is all I could locate. I include it here for others’ interest.

One page does say that applications for the new “Commonwealth Choice” products (now there’s an oxymoron!!!) will be avaialable “in the next few months”.

below info is from this link: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=hicterminal&L=2&L0=Home&L1=Commonwealth+Choice&sid=Qhic&b=terminalcontent&f=choice_overview&csid=Qhic

“Individual Mandate

By July 1, 2007 all residents of Massachusetts age 18 and over are required to have health insurance.

Individuals who cannot show proof of health insurance coverage by Dec. 31, 2007, will lose their personal income tax exemption when filing their 2007 income taxes. The 2006 personal exemption is $3,850 for an individual, which translates into a tax savings of approximately $204 for an individual (5.3 percent of $3,850).

In 2008, FAILURE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT will result in a fine for each month the individual does not have coverage. THE FINE WILL EQUAL 50 PERCENT OF the least costly, available [ANNUAL] INSURANCE PREMIUM that meets the standard for creditable coverage.”

“On May 1st the Connector will begin enrolling eligible individuals and Commonwealth Choice coverage will be effective stating on July 1st 2007.”…

“Applications for Commonwealth Choice will be available starting May 1, 2007. Individuals and groups will be able to submit applications using a process that will be finalized in the next few months.”

—

FYI the “Appliciations” page where I found this is here so you can check back for updates http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=hicterminal&L=2&L0=Home&L1=Commonwealth+Choice&sid=Qhic&b=terminalcontent&f=choice_applications&csid=Qhic

I believe the law also has provisions for employers to be notitifed by the state and to be charged/ fined if their workers access free care two times in a year or something like that.

These new and largely wasteful layers of bureaucracy seem like such a poor use of public resources. We must be able to do much better than this with health system reform. Many pieves of legislation have been filed to make needed changes.

Updates on these items will be posted on http://www.DefendHealth.org and the group’s free listserve is open to to the public — sign up to stay informed.

Hi Beth – thanks for the question. As Ann mentions, the health insurance plans for residents who do not qualify for state subsidies are available beginning May 1. These plans, for people who earn right about $30,000 a year and up, are under the umbrella of Commonwealth Choice (Commonwealth Care is the state program for free and subsidized coverage). There are a few places to get background on the Choice plans which I’ll post below, but they are not for sale for another 2 weeks.

If you qualify for Commonwealth Care, the free or subsidized coverage, you can ask questions and enroll at this no…1-877-623-7773

1) you can see spread sheets at the link below that explain the benefits and premiums that will be offered in your area of the state by various insurers. Again, click the heading “Commonwealth Choice.”

http://www.gethealthcoverage.net/patients.htm

2) we posted some of these details with a summary in a prior blog entry.

http://www.wbur.org/weblogs/commonhealth/?p=20#more-20

3) the group, Health Care for All has a help line. 1-800-272-4232. Someone there might be able to answer questions your have in advance of 5/1.

4) Some of the insurers are ready to answer questions about their plans, so if you narrow down your choices using the spread sheets above, you might try calling the 1-800 number of that insurer.

I hope this is not too difficult to follow.

Thanks again Beth,
Martha Bebinger

Beth, are you looking for insurance primarily because you want to comply with the mandate?

Many thanks to Ann, Martha and Jim for your responses.

Yes, as I wrote, I have been closely following the state’s website for months. The answer is always either basically “We are in the process of formulating something…” or “Congratulations to us for meeting and making up these rules that no one understands or even knows about”.

I have attempted to contact Heath Care for All. They were all at a meeting that day – “Please try again tomorrow”. Right – I have time to call them on my lunch break from the pay phone at work, as they are only operational during regular business hours.

I contacted the Insurance Partnership – “Sorry, you are above income guidelines.”

I contacted Commonwealth Care – “Go to our web page and download applications”. Yes, that’s fine for me as I have a computer and Internet and a printer, but what about those who don’t? Again here, they have nothing for me anyway, due to “above income guidelines”. They might have something on May 1st. Then I can scramble to take whatever they have so that I can meet the July 1st deadline, regardless of the quality or affordability of the assembled choices.

I called Blue Cross.
That was fine if I don’t care about paying the mortgage, too.
I wondered if Blue Cross might be procured through my husband’s small business, as I am one of several part time employees. The answer to that was “we will only cover FULL TIME employees”. Part time employees are on their own, I guess, but they still are mandated to have insurance. From where, will someone tell me?

I phoned my husband’s payroll company’s benefit administrator. She told me that she and other benefit administrators are as mystified as I am. She also told me that Blue Cross will penalize a company if any employee waives coverage.

On a brilliant gamble I have been to the Insurance Commissioner’s website, and after much hunting, found a listing of many insurance companies. Should I contact each and every one of these?

I have wasted many hours of time in search of an answer. I feel like poor K. in Franz Kafka’s “The Trial”.

I have been following Ann’s sensible comments for many weeks. They seem like a scream in the dark. Ahh!

Perhaps Martha’s fine coverage could expose this jumbled, money wasting, anxiety-causing scheme?

Beth Vance

Hi Beth – will you please send me your phone number when you have a minute?

marthab@bu.edu

Thanks, Martha

Hello Beth,

My name is Kate Bicego and I am the manager of Health Care for All Helpline. I apologize that our staff was out of the office on the day that you called the Helpline. I am happy to clarify that we are open outside of regular business hours (9:00 AM – 6:30 PM). If you could email me your telephone number, I would be happy to contact you directly to help you understand your health insurance options.

Sincerely,

Kate
bicego@hcfama.org