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| Line up those ducks for ConnectorCare expansion |
My last post focused on a plan in Massachusetts to extend eligibility for ConnectorCare, the state's unique low-cost health insurance program for marketplace enrollees with income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, to residents with income up to 500% FPL. This past July, the state legislature passed a budget provision funding the eligibility extension for a two-year pilot period, but Republican Governor Charlie Baker vetoed it.
Yesterday I spoke to Alex Sheff, policy director at nonprofit Health Care Access for All Massachusetts, a prime mover of the proposal, about the rationale for focusing new state spending on a relatively affluent income segment -- those with household income ranging from $40,770 to $67,950 for an individual and from $83,5250 to $138,750 for a family of four. HCFA commissioned an actuarial study, conducted by Gorman Actuarial Associates, that sketched out the proposal's parameters. HCFA provides phone help to Massachusetts resident who need help enrolling in health coverage and stresses that its policy proposals derive from trends gleaned from the call line.
To keep background as short as possible here (see the last post for more): ConnectorCare features a standardized benefit design (varying somewhat by income bracket) with zero deductibles, low copays, and annual maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) cost limits lower than those generally available in a conventional state ACA marketplace. Those costs are modestly lower than in the ACA marketplace at the lowest incomes, but much lower at the 200-300% FPL level.* ConnectorCare premiums range from $0 at incomes up to 150% FPL** to $130 per month for a solo enrollee with income in the 250-300% FPL range.
