The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector--the board that is overseeing the implementation of Massachusetts’ universal coverage law--has sent insurers back to the drawing board to reduce the monthly premiums uninsured adults must pay to obtain mandated health insurance, reports The Boston Globe. To fulfill the state’s coverage requirements, insurers came up with a premium of $380/month--a price that could put the law in jeopardy, said the board, which was expecting a premium price of about $260/month. “Clearly, $380 is not what we consider affordable” for minimal coverage, Jon Kingsdale, executive director of the board, told the Globe. Uninsured adults earning 300% of the federal poverty level and above--about 200,000 of Massachusetts’ residents--are expected to buy the state-sponsored insurance, while those earning less are eligible for state-subsidized coverage.
The board’s requirements for “reasonably comprehensive coverage” include primary care, emergency services, hospitalization benefits, mental health services, and prescription drugs with an annual out-of-pocket limit of $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. Deductibles are not to exceed $2,000 per individual and $4,000 per family, but the board said it would reconsider the benefits if necessary. Insurers said it will be “a huge challenge” to offer those benefits for less.
"The Connector took the right step" in requiring insurers to submit more affordable proposals, said Robert Gibbons, interim president and CEO of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, in a statement. "We are hopeful that the right balance can be struck and that affordable and meaningful plans can be introduced to attract more people into health coverage."
