Comments on: Health Coverage Law Suffers With The Economy http://commonhealth.wbur.org/wbur-posts-and-stories/2009/06/health-coverage-law-suffers-with-the-economy/ CommonHealth Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:23:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: pj http://commonhealth.wbur.org/wbur-posts-and-stories/2009/06/health-coverage-law-suffers-with-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-8754 pj Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:25:52 +0000 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/?p=1218#comment-8754 Instead of fretting over coverage for immigrants, how about putting some of this effort into helping find a way for those of us who work for small business continue to be able to PAY for our coverage? Small business and individuals are definitely the forgotten ones when it comes to health care. Instead of fretting over coverage for immigrants, how about putting some of this effort into helping find a way for those of us who work for small business continue to be able to PAY for our coverage? Small business and individuals are definitely the forgotten ones when it comes to health care.

]]> By: More woes for Massachusetts insurance model « Boston Health News http://commonhealth.wbur.org/wbur-posts-and-stories/2009/06/health-coverage-law-suffers-with-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-8752 More woes for Massachusetts insurance model « Boston Health News Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:44:39 +0000 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/?p=1218#comment-8752 [...] WBUR’s CommonHealth also reports [...] [...] WBUR’s CommonHealth also reports [...]

]]> By: Brian Rosman http://commonhealth.wbur.org/wbur-posts-and-stories/2009/06/health-coverage-law-suffers-with-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-8751 Brian Rosman Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:08:10 +0000 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/?p=1218#comment-8751 The report says "These residents would still be eligible for Commonwealth Care and could enroll or re-enroll when they go to a clinic or hospital." It's not quite this simple. If an eligible but unenrolled person shows up at a hospital, they can call the Connector and pick a plan. But his or her enrollment won't be effective until the first of the next month. If it's late in the month, the enrollment won't be effective until the first of the second following month. So the person remains uninsured all this time. The person is eligible for Health Safety Net, but only for the first 90 days. Then that expires. And, HSN does not cover all needed medical services, depending on where you go. Drugs, for example, are only covered in a few sites, and generally you have to be a patient at that location. As a community, Massachusetts needs to find the revenues required to support the kind of Commonwealth we all want for everyone. We're hopeful that this change can be reversed. The report says “These residents would still be eligible for Commonwealth Care and could enroll or re-enroll when they go to a clinic or hospital.”

It’s not quite this simple. If an eligible but unenrolled person shows up at a hospital, they can call the Connector and pick a plan. But his or her enrollment won’t be effective until the first of the next month. If it’s late in the month, the enrollment won’t be effective until the first of the second following month. So the person remains uninsured all this time.

The person is eligible for Health Safety Net, but only for the first 90 days. Then that expires. And, HSN does not cover all needed medical services, depending on where you go. Drugs, for example, are only covered in a few sites, and generally you have to be a patient at that location.

As a community, Massachusetts needs to find the revenues required to support the kind of Commonwealth we all want for everyone. We’re hopeful that this change can be reversed.

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