Deadline for Health Connector members to select a plan & pay premium is December 31, 2013

Our office received this information that the Health Connector has extended the deadline for picking a plan and making a premium payment for coverage starting in January 2014 to Tuesday, December 31, 2013. 

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We are writing to update you to adjusted deadlines for Health Connector members to select a plan and pay their premiums, for coverage starting in January 2014. The new deadlines mean that members have until Tuesday, December 31, 2013, to select a plan and notify the Health Connector of that selection, and have extended time to pay for their premiums.

These deadlines mean different things for different people. Please see below for additional information.

Health Connector Plan (with no subsidies) Members

  • People who are buying insurance through the Health Connector without financial assistance have until Tuesday, December 31, 2013, to select a plan for coverage starting in January 2014.

 

  • Coverage under this plan will not be effective until the first month’s premium is paid. Premium payment must be received by January 10, 2014 in order to complete enrollment.  Typically, once the first payment is made, it takes about five business days before the member is reflected in the carrier’s system.

 

  • Members can make their payment through an electronic fund transfer only if they take that step immediately after selecting a plan. Otherwise, a check or money order must be mailed, or delivered to the Health Connector’s Boston or Worcester walk-in centers.

 

  • It is important to note that even if payment is not received in time for the policy to be in the carrier’s system by January 1, the member will be eligible for retroactive coverage through the plan as long as their payment is received by January 10.

 

  • This means that if the member uses any services from January 1 and when the payment is processed and the policy is recognized by the carrier, that the carrier will cover the member for those services.

 

ConnectorCare Members

  • Connector Care members who have received a plan selection notice from the Health Connector have until Tuesday, December 31, to select their plan for coverage starting in January 2014.

 

  • Depending on when plan selection is completed, it is possible that the member will not appear in the carrier’s system until sometime in early January, perhaps as late as January 10. However, the carrier will cover services that are offered by a provider in the plan’s network during this transitional period.

 

  • These members will receive their first bill in January, which will include a request for payment for both January and February premiums.

 

  • Clients who have already completed an application and received a plan selection notice from the Health Connector can complete the selection process by calling the Health Connector’s Customer Service Center at (877) 623-6765.

 

Health Connector Plan with Premium Tax Credits

  • Health Connector members who are receiving only federal tax credits as a form of help paying for insurance have until Tuesday, December 31, 2013, to select a plan and pay their premium.

 

  • These members must make their first month’s premium payment before their coverage can begin. It can take up to five business days for information to be transferred to a carrier and appear in the carrier’s system, and carriers will reach out to members shortly after the information is in their system. If a member needs additional time to make a payment beyond December 31, they will be automatically enrolled in temporary coverage for the month of January with your new plan taking effect on February 1, 2014.

 

  • Clients who have already completed an application and received a plan selection notice from the Health Connector can complete the selection process by calling the Health Connector’s Customer Service Center at (877) 623-6765.

The Health Connector is still accepting applications for coverage starting January 1. As we have previously told you, those with unprocessed applications seeking financial assistance will be placed in temporary coverage until the application is processed. Letters to those members will be mailed starting this week. Applicants not seeking financial assistance now have until December 31 to complete an application and select a plan. If someone has not started an application, their best avenue to coverage is to visit the Health Connector’s website and complete an application.

Our fundamental goal at the Health Connector is to ensure everyone who needs insurance on January 1 has it, without a gap or delay in coverage. You have played, and continue to play, a significant role in this effort and we appreciate your time, energy and know-how spent on this endeavor. We believe these extended deadlines will help even more people get the coverage they need on January 1.

For more information please visit and review the information on the following page:  https://bettermahealthconnector.org/application-deadline-extension/