BOSTON - Time is running out for Massachusetts residents without health insurance to sign up for the state-mandated program or miss out on a $219 tax break.
An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 people still have not enrolled in health insurance plans offered by the state or private insurers, according to the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority. They have until Thursday to pick an insurer, or face the loss of their $219 personal income tax exemption.
John McDonough, executive director of Health Care for All, acknowledged it's hard to reach everyone but said the state could do more.
"The state and all of its partners have made a vigorous, aggressive, unprecedented, good-faith effort," McDonough said. "There's still a lot more to be done. There are still a lot of folks who haven't gotten the message."
Massachusetts residents must have health insurance by Dec. 31. The requirement is part of the landmark health care reform law passed in April 2006. The Nov. 15 deadline exists to ensure people enroll early enough to have their insurance in effect to meet the Dec. 31 requirement.
Come April, Bay State residents will have to indicate on their tax returns whether they have health insurance. If they don't, they'll lose their $219 personal exemption. In following years, they may have to pay a penalty equal to half the cost of the least expensive available insurance.
Richard Powers, communications director for the Connector Authority, said the state has worked hard to get people enrolled in time.
"We've made reasonably good progress in the first year (since the law was passed), but there's a lot of work to do," Powers said. "It's a marathon, not a sprint. It will take several years to implement."
To boost awareness of the deadline, the Connector Authority launched a $600,000 media campaign. It also recently mailed out 3.3 million postcards to tax filers and has held 10 events across the state to help people sign up for health insurance plans.
The most recent enrollment effort took place at North Shore Community College in Lynn. Joan Fallon, the Connector Authority's chief communications officer, said more than 50 people showed up for the Thursday night enrollment clinic, which lasted four hours.
The reach of the state's early ad campaign, according to McDonough, was too limited.
An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 people still have not enrolled in health insurance plans offered by the state or private insurers, according to the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority. They have until Thursday to pick an insurer, or face the loss of their $219 personal income tax exemption.
John McDonough, executive director of Health Care for All, acknowledged it's hard to reach everyone but said the state could do more.
"The state and all of its partners have made a vigorous, aggressive, unprecedented, good-faith effort," McDonough said. "There's still a lot more to be done. There are still a lot of folks who haven't gotten the message."
Massachusetts residents must have health insurance by Dec. 31. The requirement is part of the landmark health care reform law passed in April 2006. The Nov. 15 deadline exists to ensure people enroll early enough to have their insurance in effect to meet the Dec. 31 requirement.
Come April, Bay State residents will have to indicate on their tax returns whether they have health insurance. If they don't, they'll lose their $219 personal exemption. In following years, they may have to pay a penalty equal to half the cost of the least expensive available insurance.
Richard Powers, communications director for the Connector Authority, said the state has worked hard to get people enrolled in time.
"We've made reasonably good progress in the first year (since the law was passed), but there's a lot of work to do," Powers said. "It's a marathon, not a sprint. It will take several years to implement."
To boost awareness of the deadline, the Connector Authority launched a $600,000 media campaign. It also recently mailed out 3.3 million postcards to tax filers and has held 10 events across the state to help people sign up for health insurance plans.
The most recent enrollment effort took place at North Shore Community College in Lynn. Joan Fallon, the Connector Authority's chief communications officer, said more than 50 people showed up for the Thursday night enrollment clinic, which lasted four hours.
The reach of the state's early ad campaign, according to McDonough, was too limited.
"We think there ought to be a more aggressive radio and television campaign beyond the Red Sox (games)," McDonough said. "Not all (of the uninsured) are sports fans."
But reaching the state's uninsured has not been an easy task, according to people enlisted to enroll them.
Joseph McManus, president of Lawrence General Hospital, said enrollment activity has been building steadily all year. He said enrollments in October were double what they were in February. But there are still people who won't be reached in time.
Local community groups also are working with the Connector Authority to reach out to the uninsured.
Network Health, a nonprofit Medicaid managed care organization, has been involved with reaching out to uninsured people across Essex County through local community groups, such as the Lawrence Community Action Council.
Wendy Bueno-Gomez, community outreach representative, said it's been difficult to reach people at convenient times.
"Their availability is a challenge," Bueno-Gomez said. "We've been doing this for a year. But trying to get to people who work two jobs - you need to have people working 24 hours."
Massachusetts residents must buy health insurance through a company, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, or through the Connector Authority.
Among the Connector Authority options: Commonwealth Care is private health insurance subsidized by the state for people earning less than 300 percent of the federal poverty line, about $61,900 for a family of four.
Commonwealth Choice features inexpensive insurance with pared down coverage. Insurers offering it include Blue Cross, Harvard Pilgrim and Fallon Community, Neighborhood and Tufts health plans.
Approximately 200,000 people have signed up for health insurance through the state, Powers said. So far, 133,000 have enrolled in Commonwealth Care, 55,000 in MassHealth - the state Medicaid program - and 10,200 in Commonwealth Choice.
The Connector estimates another 10,000 to 20,000 have purchased health insurance directly through private companies. The state expects to have actual enrollment figures in December.
It's unclear how many of those people were uninsured or are leaving plans offered by their employers that don't meet the state's minimum requirements. It was estimated that between 400,000 and 600,000 people were uninsured as of the start of the year.
How to enroll:
1. Fill out a Medical Benefits Request form. They're available at local hospitals, community health centers or can be downloaded at www.macommonwealthcare.com. There are charts online that detail the best insurance plans based on a person's income level.
2. Call 1-877-MA-ENROLL
Source: Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority.
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