CommCare open enrollment May 1 – June 13

Submitted by Laura at CP on April 30, 2008 - 3:03pm.

Between May 1 and June 13, Commonwealth Care members who live in areas where more than one health plan is offered may change their plans. These changes will take effect July 1, when premiums and co-pays for Commonwealth Care will also change. Costs for some members will be going up significantly, and some may desire to switch to a lower-cost plan.

Members can change plans by calling the Connector at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765) or TTY (1-877-623-7773). If members want to stay in their current plan after July 1, they don’t need to do anything.

Detailed information on the changes is now available on the Connector web site, including:

In April, health plans mailed information to eligible people in the areas they serve. The Connector is now mailing an Open Enrollment packet to each premium-paying member showing available health plans, changes in premium amounts, and co-pay increases, along with a customized enrollment form with the member’s current information.

Important Notes:

  • Plan Type 4 is being merged with Plan Type 3, which means that members with incomes between 201% and 300% FPL will no longer have the option of paying a higher premium and lower co-pays after July 1. It is particularly important for members now in Plan Type 4 to evaluate what co-pay costs will be in the Type 3 plans available to them.
  • The Connector bills in advance. The May 22 invoice will show the July premium amount that members can expect to owe if they do not change plans. Members may still change plans after receiving this invoice; those who do so before June 13 will owe a revised premium amount for July.

Open Enrollment

Submitted by Diana (not verified) on May 2, 2008 - 9:19am.

There is also the opportunity for premium paying members to switch AFTER open enrollment, in July and August.

Premiums and Providers on the Cape

Submitted by Priscilla Jackett (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 2:50pm.

After a brief examination of the new schedule of premiums, I am stunned by the position people 200%-300%FPL living in Barnstable County will face come May 22: BMC is the only carrier that currently has a viable network of pcps and specialists on the Cape, and because of that and based on my experience, has become the plan of choice since the inception of CommCare. The 2008 Schedule of Premiums indicates that people with incomes between 200% and 300%, BMC premiums are rising $50.24 or $54.24 depending on income level per month. The less expensive option is NHP for those two income categories - an increase of $7 and $11 over the current BMC premium. However the only pcps enrolled in NHP are Outer Cape Health doctors in Provincetown and Wellfleet and no specialists! Surely a difficult option for those living in the Mid and Upper Cape, and forcing everyone to go over the bridge to see a specialist! The third plan choice Network Health currently has one provider in Barnstable County enrolled. Once again, the 'working poor'have to make a choice between forgoing a tank of gas or paying a premium for a plan with no providers.

Post new comment

Comments are reviewed for relevance to discussion.
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • You may post PHP code. You should include <?php ?> tags.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options