Massachusetts Health Insurance
Affordable MA Health Coverage Options
Now is the time to look at your options for affordable health insurance in Massachusetts for next year. Wherever you and your family live, you face the uncertainties of the Presidential election and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Massachusetts is no different! Now, more than ever, it is important to select the BEST health insurance for your family and be sure that you do not pay more than you have to.
Where can you turn to for independent expert advice? TrueCoverage provides helpful resources and guidance that help you to select the most affordable health insurance plan that meets your specific needs. Remember, the Open Enrollment Period starts November 1st and runs through December 31st.
Save any last-minute headaches and rushed decisions by selecting your Massachusetts Health Insurance coverage soon. The TrueCoverage team is here to help by providing a pre-registration service. Tell us what you need [CTA]. We will contact you with a selection of health coverage packages tailored to you, your family, or your business.
Small Business Health Insurance in Massachusetts
If you own a small business in Massachusetts (between 2-50 full-time-equivalent employees (FTEs), you can purchase qualifying coverage for your employees through the Small Business Health Option Program (SHOP) or, just as with individual plans, through a private broker or insurance agent. Typical plans are for 4-6 employees, www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/choose-and-enroll/using-insurance-agents-and-brokers. If you choose to contribute to your employees’ premium costs, you will qualify for business tax credits. For a full description of the advantages of employer sponsored health insurance plans see truecoverage.com/small-business-health-insurance.
Exploring Affordable Health Coverage in Massachusetts
You can look for cheap health insurance in Massachusetts. But as we all know, the policies with the lowest monthly payments (your insurance Premium) may not turn out to be your best option.
The REAL price of health coverage depends on many variables. The cost of co-insurances and co-pays must be added. Tax relief on your premiums, state subsidies and discounts on your medical supplies can reduce your overall costs. A premium might look high at first glance, but the right plan choice could save you $thousands.
If you qualify for Medicare, you should explore the Medicare add-on plans. Massachusetts has many options. About 22% of the population has enrolled in Medicare, but of those, only 12% participate in a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplemental plans could save you a LOT of money.
10 Health Services Mandated for all ACA Compliant Plans
Before the Affordable Care Act, insurers could refuse to cover various health benefits, resulting in overwhelming debt for many.
The ACA fixed those loopholes and mandated that all ACA-qualifying plans include these coverages:
- Emergency services
- Prescription drugs
- Ambulatory patient services (hospital services that don’t need an overnight stay)
- Hospitalization
- Laboratory services
- Maternity and newborn care
- Pediatric services (for children), including dental and vision care
- Mental health and substance abuse services
- Preventive and wellness services, including chronic disease management
- Rehabilitative/habilitative services and devices
As you will be aware, the ACA makes it easier to compare compliant plans first by standardizing the services that must be offered and second by setting an upper limit on the costs you incur before your insurer becomes 100% responsible.
Third, and most critical when choosing a plan, the ACA specifies that all qualifying plans are designated Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The metal band defines how the plan is designed to share the average amount of healthcare costs between you and the insurance company. All insurers participating in the federal or a state healthcare exchange must offer a choice of plans (different metal bands), at minimum Silver and Gold plans
The Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19 Testing, and the FFCRA
COVID-19 is the hot topic health insurance issue in Massachusetts. If you lose your health insurance due to COVID-19 The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed in March 2020, ensures that everyone can receive COVID-19 testing. Even if you lose your health insurance coverage because of the coronavirus epidemic, if for example your employer is forced to close the company, FFRCA entitles you and your dependents to receive COVID-19 tests free of charge.
Read our blog: Lost your job due to Coronavirus? 5 ways to get Health Insurance
See our 5 top Massachusetts health insurance companies at the bottom of this page.
Key Details about Health Insurance in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts has a state-based insurance exchange, Massachusetts Health Connecter,
- Massachusetts also protects consumers from ‘surprise’ billing
- For more details, see our Blogs:
Exploring the Health Insurance Marketplace in Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ residents can sign up for health insurance using private insurance exchanges. These marketplaces offer more ACA-compliant plans than the state, which deals with a limited number of insurers.
As a private exchange, TrueCoverage is bound by the same rules as the Massachusetts exchange but has access to hundreds of insurers.
With Health Insurance Exchanges, you gain access to ancillary insurance options like:
- Dental
- Vision
- Accidental Death
- Critical Illness
- Disability
- Life
- Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplementals
Benefits of Working with a Health Insurance Broker
TrueCoverage is a Certified Direct Enrollment Partner of Healthcare.gov. We specialize in offering local knowledge and affordable Massachusetts health insurance solutions.
We offer more health insurance plans than any other resource in Massachusetts, and our unique technology quickly delivers the ‘BEST VALUE’ insurance policies that address your needs.
Like brokers in every state, TrueCoverage must operate without bias. Our job is to find you the best health insurance options, regardless of the insurance carrier. As brokers, we search for policies that best meet your needs. We also assist you throughout your contract. For example, if a dispute arose with your insurer, TrueCoverage steps in to help. If you benefit from a Special Enrollment Period, we’ll be there.
TrueCoverage is familiar with your state’s unique insurance rules, and we understand the Massachusetts health insurance options from the largest carriers, to the smaller specialty health insurers.
The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies in Massachusetts
Choosing from over 50,000 plans is daunting without independent, expert advice. That is where TrueCoverage shines. To help, we have identified the top five health insurance companies in Massachusetts.
These ratings, from The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), are based on Consumer Satisfaction, Preventive Care, and Medical treatment.
Learn about top Insurance carriers in Massachusetts
The Top 5 Health Insurers in Massachusetts are:
- Martin’s Point US Family Health Plan (NH, NY, PA, VT)
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, Inc.
- Matthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. (Massachusetts)
- United HealthCare Services, Inc. (Massachusetts)
- UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (Massachusetts)
All ACA-compliant and Medicare plans have a star rating based on similar criteria.
Click below to learn more:
- ACA-compliant STAR plans
- Medicare STAR plans
NOW is the best time to select your ACA Affordable Massachusetts health insurance, BEFORE Open Enrollment starts on November 1st, 2020.
Looking to find affordable health insurance?
Click on the button below to and connect with our agent to get insurance in 24 hours.
Massachusetts has extended open enrollment to the end of December in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Note :- this may not apply to all insurance companies operating in MA. Massachusetts operates its own health insurance marketplace – Massachusetts Health Connector State of Health. MA has the reputation of being a leader in healthcare reform. MA discourages short term health plans and has legislated to prevent surprise or ‘balance’ billing.
Massachusetts is not involved in the Texas-led attempt to invalidate the ACA. Whatever the outcome of the case currently before the courts, it will not affect your 2021 health insurance plans.
Did You Know?
Named after the Algonquian word for ‘a big hill place’ Massachusetts, “the ‘Bay State”, has a tidal shoreline of over 3,000 miles.
Fun fact
The first alarm clock was invented by Concord’s Levi Hutchins in 1787; a few years later in 1833, the first US public library was established in Peterborough, whilst back near Concord in 1947, artificial rain was first used to fight a forest fire.
Sources: National Geographic; Infoplease; 50states; coolkidfacts
