Commonwealth Care Updates
-Adapted from “Commonwealth Care - more updates” e-mails, June 5, 2007 and June 11, 2007, Kim Simonian, MPH, Health Access and Community Partnerships, Community Benefit Programs, Partners HealthCare, and All User MGH Broadcast message “ Update on State Health Care Reform “, June 14, 2007.
- Auto Assignment: New applicants in the 100% to 150% FPL income range will be automatically assigned to a health plan, but not until September for October 1 effective date. Until then, they will stay on Free Care if they don’t select a plan. (This is new information; the state had previously planned not to auto-assign this group.) Patients in this group should be urged to enroll and select a plan, since although they will have co-pays, they won't be required to pay monthly premiums.
- Transitional Free Care: If an individual moves from MassHealth to Commonwealth Care, he gets Free Care while he waits for Commonwealth Care coverage to go into effect at the beginning of the month. (For example, a patient who is terminated from MassHealth on June 5th because his income goes up doesn't get onto Commonwealth Care until July 1st, so he has Free Care during the time he is waiting.)
- Out-of-Cycle Plan Switches: To request a plan switch after the 60 day period has passed, the member must always call Customer Service first, and may then be asked to complete a request form. The provider's signature on that form should be the provider with whom the patient has an existing relationship.
- Translated Fact-Sheets: The Connector will be releasing new Commonwealth Care fact-sheets in 8 languages. These should be available on the Connector website by the end of June.
- Public Access to Virtual Gateway: Beginning this Fall, individuals will be able to access the Virtual Gateway themselves to apply for coverage.
- Young Adult COBRA: For young adult coverage under a parent’s plan, once group coverage is exhausted or lost, he or she is eligible for an additional 36 months of coverage under COBRA at a full premium cost.
- Individual mandate : As you know, the individual mandate officially begins on July 1, 2007, though for enforcement purposes the key date is coverage by December 31, 2007. Some are exempted from enforcement for the individual mandate- those who cannot find a policy that the Connector considers “affordable”. A draft affordability chart was presented last month in this space. Please see the attached updated affordability chart and premium chart. Please read carefully.
6/07