Massachusetts residents who don’t have health or dental insurance have just 10 days to sign up before the state Health Connector’s open enrollment period ends on January 23.
Legislators, community leaders and representatives from the Massachusetts Health Connector — a marketplace for health insurance, including public insurance options like MassHealth — held an event Monday to raise awareness about the impending deadline and encourage residents to explore their options before next Thursday.
“Most people get health coverage through their employer, but many people don’t — some just move to Massachusetts, they may be working in the gig economy and are not offered coverage, or otherwise don’t qualify for another type of insurance program,” said Audrey Morse Gasteier, the Health Connector’s executive director. “These are the people who we are here for.”
More than 98% of Massachusetts residents are covered by insurance. Morse Gasteier says the goal is to get that number up to 100% by the Jan. 23 deadline.
Massachusetts residents are required to enroll in a health insurance policy or face a state tax penalty — one of a handful of states that impose those kinds of penalties. Still, the process of getting insurance can be confusing, state Rep. Priscila Sousa said.
“Health insurance, despite our best efforts, is still one of those areas with bureaucracy and papers and very specific language that even native English speakers struggle to understand,” she said. “This is where our navigators come in.”
The state works with around 140 navigators, who are community health care representatives that work to connect people with coverage and simplify all the paperwork. This year’s team of navigators collectively speak more than 30 languages and represent residents in Boston, Cambridge, Chatham, Framingham, Gloucester, Greenfield, Hyannis, New Bedford, North Adams, Lawrence, Lynn, Pittsfield, Plymouth and Springfield, according to a state spokesperson.
Since enrollment began on Nov. 1, navigators have helped some of the 30,000 new people who signed up for health insurance through the Health Connector, Morse Gasteier said.
A pilot under the state’s ConnectorCare program also offers more health insurance options to residents above the federal poverty line: individuals who earn $75,300 or less annually and families of four who earn less than $156,000 per year are eligible for coverage in 2025.
Suheli Rivera, a lead navigator with the program and the executive director of the Lynn Community Health Center, says people who are already enrolled but want to switch plans should be mindful of the Jan. 23 deadline, which could be their only opportunity to explore another coverage option this year.
Anyone who, for instance, loses their job this year or is released from jail or prison will still be able to enroll in a new insurance plan.
“If you don’t have a qualifying event during the year — you know, if you don’t get married, if you don’t have any more kids, if your income doesn’t change — you’re not going to have the opportunity to switch your plan, and you’re going to be locked into your insurance for a year,” she told GBH News. “So this is a crucial deadline, if you’re not happy with your insurance and you need to look for another provider, this is the time.”
