Mass. Health Connector

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

I've been unemployed long enough that my COBRA is running out, so I'm looking into getting health insurance through the Mass. Health Connector. I'm finding it really awkward to deal with. I haven't even found the place where I can enter my demographics and see the (unsubsidized) prices I get for the various plans. And I haven't been able to find any useful advice online. Does anyone have any info on how to best deal with the Connector?

Comments

[cos]

Call them. If you get an agent who's not that helpful, call again. Some agents are more helpful than others.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

Call the Health Care For All helpline and they will walk you through the process of finding the plan that's best for you. (800) 272-4232.

[ron_newman]

It's really annoying that we did this first here in MA, and did it right, and now it's broken.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been feeling the same way.

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

It was a great system that I bragged about around the country. Really an embarrassment what happened now. Took me 3 months to get through the system. And I've tested software professionally--I know every trick there is.

[ifotismeni]

agreed.

[teko.livejournal.com]

As others said, you're sadly better off calling them. I tried using the Health Connector as well, and after plugging in all of my info, I got a 500 error and a message to contact tech support. I tried it again the next day with the same result. Tech support told me "the site's down for the foreseeable future" -- and that was over a month ago.

[dale smoak (from livejournal.com)]

Start on the top page of the site, where it says "What Do You Want To Do Today?" Don't be logged in. Choose the green box on the left, where you'd start an application. On the next page, choose Individuals & Families. On the next page choose Get Started. Give the info about how many you're shopping for and whether anyone is over 65 or disable. On the next page, choose not to provide info about your income. Then you'll get a popup that lets you browse plans. Enter your zip code and birthdate and anything you want for your name, and whether you smoke. Then you can see what's offered in your area and how much it is.

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

Ah, great, thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for. (I notice that at least twice in that sequence I have to choose items which are not what I'm trying to do.) I would have called the help line but I'm just recovering from a vicious cough and it's only today (Wed) that I'd be capable of maintaining a sustained conversation with someone. Again, thanks!

[abilouise.livejournal.com]

I feel like I just read a video game walk-through. That was awesome and thanks!

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

As others here have said: call. I thought I had set things up and even checked again before a scheduled visit to a doctor only to get a bill in the mail for what should have been covered.

(and do these places play really horrible, screechy "on hold" music by design, with the intention of getting people to hang up? I think MassHealth had clarinet music. Great choice for tiny phone ear pieces)

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

FYI: There are weird rules about when you can enroll in new insurance. I think you have 30 or 60 days after losing your insurance to be able to enroll in a new plan without having to wait for the open enrollment period. In other words, don't be dumb like me :)

If you do call (which is probably your best bet at this time) you might want to research MassHealth first to see if you might qualify (it would be cheaper and probably better coverage). While the website should in theory check you up against both, if you call the Health Connector directly they'd most likely not look into MassHealth (politics/weird silos of departments, etc). However, if you could afford COBRA you probably don't qualify for MH.

[siderea]

if you call the Health Connector directly they'd most likely not look into MassHealth

While things may have changed since I went through this pre ACA, there was one unified application for all subsidized MA programs -- MassHealth, Commonwealth Care, etc. It's called the MBR. You fill out the MBR and send it in, and then they sort out which one you qualify for. If you call the Health Connector, they send you (well, sent you, dunno about now) the MBR and told you to fill it in and send it to MassHealth. They mostly definitely are not (well, weren't) separate silos.

[smammy]

Here is the printable application form and instruction booklet: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/insurance/masshealth-apply/applications-and-member-forms.html

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's great, it has the overview information I was looking for.