WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Tuesday is the last day in most states to sign up for health insurance coverage, or make changes to existing coverage, under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
The open enrollment deadline has been extended by one day since Monday was a federal holiday. Open enrollment began on November 1. The new coverage will begin on February 1.
“To date, more than 75,000 residents have transitioned to Health Connector coverage,” said Audrey Morse-Gastere, CEO of MA Health Connector. “We continue to reach people who were found to be ineligible for MassHealth during the redetermination process and now need new coverage.”
MassHealth lost about 203,000 members from the eligibility redetermination process. “I’ve been in this situation where we had MassHealth Direct and we ended up losing eligibility for that because the income levels were too high. We had to go to Contact Care insurance,” said Cynthia Ehender of West Springfield. “It can be very difficult for people To whom these different guidelines apply.”
It’s still unclear whether all the individuals cut from MassHealth have found employer or connected plans or are just risking penalties without coverage. The high cost of health care may impact their insurance choices, Ehinder says. “People end up having to choose between do I pay for my health insurance or do I pay something else, and it can be really difficult especially if you have a family and when you have a lot of other expenses,” she expressed.
Nearly 20 million people have already signed up for health insurance this year through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. This is a record number.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter and has been part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighcthomas View her CV to see more of her work.