Massachusetts DU'ers -- would you care to give an update on the MA health insurance plan?

[antigop]

What is your experience?

What are people saying?

Are people writing letters to the editor?

Any info would be appreciated.

[rox63]

1. Mixed reviews

It is helping some people get health coverage who couldn't otherwise afford it. But some of the available plans don't cover everything you'd like. You can get free coverage if you make less than 15K per year. And I believe there are generous subsidies for people making less than 30K per year. Right now I have employer-supplied coverage. But I'm hoping to go back to school full-time next year, so I may need to take advantaage of the state-subsidized health care options then.

You can find out more here: http://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/site/connector/


Edit to add link and correct spelling.

[antigop]

2. Thanks. I'd really like to know personal experiences if anyone can share. n/t

[skids]

12. Helps some, hurts others...

...I know a few people who are now covered that weren't, but I also know a small businessman in a struggling industry who says it's restricting his ability to hire.

[Marrah_G]

15. How small of a business?

[skids]

16. Himself and whoever else he can afford at the time. n/t

[Marrah_G]

17. Less then ten makes him exempt from being required to provide insurance for his employees

Depending on their wage level and family size the employee could qualify for free or subsidized insurance through commonwealth care.

[Fearless]

3. Haven't heard any horror stories myself...

Perhaps it's still too soon to tell. I'd give it until later this fall before I know for sure.

[Submariner]

4. The Commonwealth Connection Health Insurance Scam Sux

Three weeks ago I went to the Veterans Admin because I have a painful kidney stone stuck in my left kidney and I'm passing a lot of blood. The VA told me my free for life VA health care benefit was gone because I didn't have a service connected disability, so buzz off. It seems that the cowardly draft-dodgers Bush/Cheney took vet benefits away to pay for Iraq.

I then looked up the state's Comm Connection policy. Based on age, and zip code, and my part time job income, my cost would be from $3900/yr ($325/month) with a $4000 deductible, to $10,500/yr ($875/month).

So in a bold stroke, the Federal government takes away my free health care, and then the state steps in and says, "Hey dummy, you must have health insurance or we're going to fine you." So my response is; "Bring it on MF'ers!"

I have visited my local Malden congressman to get an amendment legislated to: give veterans 55 and above a waiver from having to buy the state-mandated insurance, or give vets free health care. He said that most of the MA legislature never served in the military so he expects a hard sell for any discount or waiver. In the meantime I have written Michael Moore to ask for his support when I confront Gov. Deval Patrick for signing a law that stabs MA veterans in the back. That letter will go out this week.

If you look at the "Leadership" link of the Comm Connector page you will see about 7 individuals who are directly linked to the health and insurance industry. It screams "conflict of interest", so I am going to WBZ-TV to see if I can get their I-Team investigatory unit to take a look at this scam. I have also requested their personal financial statements to see how they are invested in insurance and health stocks.

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm steamed to put it mildly, and I'm doing everything I can to rock the boat. I'm not going to cough up 17% of my income per annum for a piece of crap legislation that Romney had thrown together as an election ploy talking point. I consider it my mission to get some relief for veterans, or I will be forced to move out of my home state all because some draft-dodging Mormon ass*ole wants to run for prez.

[bluescribbler]

5. Just for the record

Deval Patrick did not sign that law. It was enacted last year, signed by Der Mittenfuhrer. All Gov. Patrick did was say, let's look at it and see how it goes before making any changes.

[Submariner]

6. I knew it was a Mittens idea, but didn't know who signed it into law

Thanks for the update. I'm so pissed I can hardly see straight. I will keep that fact in mind that it was draft-dodger Mittens idea to throw that piece of sh*t legislation up against the wall to see how much sticks, and that Deval has just got caught in the crossfire.

[antigop]

8. Wow, Submariner! How terrible!

I do hope you can get this worked out.

What a nightmare.

[antigop]

9. I wouldn't call $325 per month with a $4,000 deductible "affordable"

GEEZ!

[yy4me]

7. One point of interest: My doctors office thinks it is a nightmare,

that it is already messed up. This was as of three or four weeks ago. Now we find that hundreds or thousands of applications are lost and that some who presumed they were covered may not be. Lovely! How do you lose an application? Some of the same ones 2 or 3 times! According to the Boston Globe today:


http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2007/08/11/uninsured_face_health_plan_delays/

.

[Marrah_G]

10. It's a literal life saver for me

I was on Mass Health until Dec when my ex started paying support again. Then I made too much. In July the cap was raised and I now have full (no deductable) dental/vision/health insurance for 60ish dollars a month. (my company is very very small and doesn't have health insurance)

You have to really dig through all the information.

The biggest problem is low wage employers who offer very expensive crappy insurance. That crappy offer excludes someone from recieving mass health even if they qualify for free care.

The system is not inherently bad, but it does need some serious adjustments.

[yy4me]

11. The new insurance is presenting a lot of problems for many:

Check out this article in Boston Globe today, August 17 about the new mandatory insurance.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/17/older_residents_feel_insurance_law_pinch/

[rockedthevoteinMA]

13. My husband and I have not had insurance because both of our

employers offer horrible plans - it would be $500/mo each to go through our employers. (Which is NOT affordable for us).

So I checked out the Mass Health Connector, to see what plans we qualified for. It turns out with their income guidelines, that there is no plan available for us that they consider "affordable"; therefore we will not be penalized at tax time. However, I find it completely ridiculous that this plan was proclaimed to be the cure for those of us without health insurance. Many of our friends are in the same boat - so now we're in the same position as before - no health insurance and no affordable options out there.

Hopefully this is just the first step in a single payer system for the state. Maybe they're using it to gauge how many people are left without insurance (at least that's what I hope).

I have heard from some of my co-workers who qualify for subsidized health insurance through the MA Health Connector, that they were told it would be over six months before they got an answer - because the system crashed.

We need to get the corporations out of health care now - people should not be losing their houses, or dying, because treatment doesn't benefit the health insurance co.'s bottom line. :banghead:

[Marrah_G]

14. Crashed

I applied a few weeks ago, got an approval in less then 10 days.

I think the next step should be removing the "if your employer offers any kind of insurance you do not qualify" road block.

IMHO that is the next step towards UH.

[Cobalt Violet]

18. It's been a life saver for me too.

I had been unable to treat a life threatening illness up until now. I will soon be starting a year of interferon and rabavarian treatment which would normally cost thousands of dollars a month. It also covered all the testing I need and will continue to need until this chemo is over.

I couldn't have done it without this health care. I pay a little bit a month but it is a small amount for what I am receiving. I just hope they don't abruptly end these plans when they figure out that it's not working well for everyone.

They really have some serious issues with the plan that need to be fix as other posters have pointed out.