![]() ![]() The multilingual staff can assist all Island residents, including members of the Wampanoag tribe. Now, trained specialists at VHCA can advise the insured and the uninsured, small businesses owners, the self-employed, and seasonal workers. In August, VHCA was selected as one of five new navigators in the state. Last May, Sarah Kuh, director of the Vineyard Health Care Access Program (VHCA), applied for a grant to fund VHCA navigator training and and to subsequently qualify as a state navigator for Dukes County. Navigators work one-on-one with local residents to guide them through the stultifying requirements and shifting options in health insurance today. Each state has a navigator program, which is required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ![]() The website also has a list of health insurance “navigators” and certified application counselors. Hague said the technological glitches that plagued the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority last year have been resolved, and the new website,, will have a simpler, shorter application that can be done in one sitting. ![]() Deval Patrick recently said the new website is being fixed at a total cost of $254 million, which is $80 million, or 46 percent, more than initially projected, according to a recent report in Commonwealth magazine. When the ACA, also known as Obamacare, went into effect on October 1, 2013, the Massachusetts health care plan was required to retool and offer ACA-compliant plans though ConnectorCare, a new website, which did not work. For those residents not covered by an employer or commercial health plan, the state created an agency, the Massachusetts Health Connector, to act as a broker for qualifying insurance plans. Since 2006, by law, with some exceptions, all residents of Massachusetts were required to have health coverage that met state standards. Open enrollment concludes February 15, 2015. Hague stressed that everyone who has coverage through MHC, also known as “The Exchange” or “The Marketplace,” or who was placed in a temporary plan in the past year, needs to submit a new application. “Our number one goal is to ensure our current members are able to transition without a gap in coverage.” “Our mission is to connect people to comprehensive and affordable health insurance,” said Ashley Hague, deputy executive director of Massachusetts Health Connector (MHC). The next open enrollment period starts November 15, and everyone who is in Health Connector coverage, or was placed in temporary coverage over the last year needs to reapply if they still want to be covered by insurance through the Commonwealth. Representatives from the Massachusetts Health Connector, Vineyard Health Care Access, and state representative Tim Madden held a joint press conference at the Dukes County administration building on Friday to hammer home one point - the time is now for uninsured Islanders to get insurance, and for insured Islanders to get a health insurance check-up. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |