The state and health insurers are stepping up efforts to enroll uninsured residents before penalties for failure to have coverage begin on January 1st. The Connector holds the first of ten forums tonight to answer questions about mandatory coverage and help people sign up. The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization is in the midst of 50 such workshops at schools, churches, synagogues and mosques. And health insurers plan major ad and direct mail campaigns starting next month. Blue Cross will keep its call center open until midnight on December 31st for same day enrollment, says spokesman Chris Murphy.
We think that people are gonna take their time to decide what plan works best for them and their families, so we want to just give them as much as we can.Â
Residents applying for subsidized insurance won’t be able to wait until the last mintue. They will have to begin the enrollment process by mid-November to avoid the $219 penalty on this year’s tax return.
I don’t watch T.V. and I don’t read newspapers much. NPR is my primary source for news. So of course I heard about this ‘manditory’ health plan, which was sprung upon the citizenry like a trap, about mid summer.
When I lost my job last spring and was confronted with the extortionist rates required to carry my formerly bareley affordable healthcare using COBRA, I dropped it altogether.
I am forty one, and looking towards accomplishing some of my life’s goals for the very first time this year, and these chances may never come again. Having been hamstrung as a youth with that well known handicap: faith in authority figures, it took me all these years to realize that I aught to be working for noone but myself. I live on a shoestring budget but I love my work and I am making real strides towards financial independence.
I’ll tell you that there’s a snowballs chance in hell I’ll give up that goal to pad the pockets of the rich insurance lobby in this terribly corrupt state.
Next time Dr. Muhahah needs his B’mer detailed he can hold a yardsale, I’m not paying for it anymore.
Good for you, Captain!
Perhaps the state can also cure homelessness by fining the homeless half the rent of the lowest cost apartment in their area for each month they are not domiciled and charging landlords $295 for each unoccupied dwelling they own…
Time to get real!
Thank You captain bedworthy,
We need more like you on this blog. The State and commonwealth connector have to lower themselves to scare tatics and it makes me sick. They expect us to buy in to bogus insurance plans and when we won’t, they threaten us. I think our tax information is none of their business or my financial information. The huge bureaucracy that the Commonwealth Connector has created is wasting all our tax dollars. Where is the oversight for how much this is costing tax payers? Or is this another big dig where after the fact,after spending billions they say”well that was a bad idea”.