11-1-13 Feature Story:
As millions of Americans begin to sign up for new health coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) starting today, Massachusetts health centers are launching their own outreach and enrollment campaigns to ensure a smooth transition for an estimated 295,000 state residents who are eligible for new or updated coverage. These residents include 100,000 individuals who are currently covered under the state's subsidized Commonwealth Care plans and who must re-enroll in updated subsidized plans; 100,000 Commonwealth Care subscribers who will be shifted into the state's Medicaid program as a result of expanded eligibility for that program; and 45,000 Massachusetts residents who newly qualify for state Medicaid coverage.
Massachusetts health centers also played a critical role in 2007, when the state launched a massive effort to enroll eligible residents into insurance plans created under the state's landmark health reform law, Chapter 58. As a result, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation last week released a study outlining the successes and challenges Massachusetts' health centers encountered in the early days of the law's implementation. The Foundation also hosted a forum on the topic, featuring East Boston Neighborhood Health Center CEO Manny Lopes.
Today, more than 97 percent of Massachusetts residents have health insurance - the best coverage rate in the nation, by far. Click here to learn more about the ACA, and how it will help even more Massachusetts residents obtain coverage.
