ConnectorCare Pilot Expansion Lowers Costs, Improves Access to Care for 51,000 Residents

BOSTON — A new report published by the Massachusetts Health Connector shows that the ConnectorCare pilot expansion enabled access to lower-cost health insurance to more than 51,000 Massachusetts residents, and that many new participants benefit from the program’s financial protections.

The pilot expansion, part of the FY 2024 state budget, is available to residents for calendar years 2024 and 2025. The expansion lifted income-eligibility limits to the program from 300% to 500% of the federal poverty level — from $43,740 to $72,900 for an individual, and from $90,000 to $150,000 for a family of four.

The report details the outcomes of the pilot expansion, including an increase in member cost savings — with some new ConnectorCare members saving $150 or more per month on their premiums — and the quick usage of the coverage by members in the pilot population, with 88% of survey respondents saying they or a family member had used their new coverage. One in five had used preventive services that had been deferred before entering ConnectorCare.

“I was proud to sign the ConnectorCare pilot expansion into law, and I’m thrilled to see that it has expanded access to lower-cost health insurance for tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “We’re grateful to the Health Connector team for their hard work to make this pilot a success and to the Legislature for their partnership to make this possible.”

Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, added that “this pilot program is doing exactly what it was designed to do, which is deliver health insurance that is truly affordable and usable to Massachusetts residents who previously may have found coverage and services financially out of reach.”

ConnectorCare uses state and federal subsidies to make commercial health plans cost less for qualifying residents. Along with monthly premium support, the program includes low co-pays and eliminates deductibles. ConnectorCare also includes access to prescriptions at no cost to members for medication for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.

The expansion has boosted the Health Connector’s membership this year. There are 271,000 people in ConnectorCare in August, part of 324,000 people in individual and family health coverage available through Health Connector this month. Both numbers are all-time highs for the program and the agency.