Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Massachusetts

Posted byAnne Johnson Landry

The health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act opened for enrollment on October 1, 2013.  The Massachusetts Health Connector held a briefing on Monday for legislative offices to provide information that constituents might find helpful- particularly for those individuals already enrolled in health insurance through the state.

Here are some important things to bear in mind, particularly if you receive or have purchased health insurance through the Commonwealth:

1) Most residents of Massachusetts do not need to take any action  to comply with the Affordable Care Act.

2) Current MassHealth members, Commonwealth Care members who are under 133% of the Federal Poverty Line, and people who are under 133% of the Federal Poverty Line who are receiving services paid for by the Health Safety Net, do not need to reapply for health insurance. If you received a letter from the Health Connector printed on pink paper, no action is required of you to comply with the ACA.

3) Most Health Connector members will need to take some action to comply with the ACA.  Specifically, all Commonwealth Choice  members, all Medical Security Plan members, and some Commonwealth Care, Insurance Partnership, Children’s Medical Security Plan, and Health Safety Net members who may qualify for a qualified health plan, particularly for those over 133% of the Federal Poverty Line, need to reapply. The Health Connector will be calling and sending written materials to all members who need to reapply and will direct them to reapply at mahealthconnector.org. These members should apply by December 23, 2013 to avoid a gap in coverage.

If you have trouble reapplying online at mahealthconnector.org, you have several options:

1) You can check back later. You have until December 23, 2013 to reapply without experiencing a gap in coverage.

2) You can submit a paper application.

3) You can call or go to a community organization for assistance with the application.  You can call the Health Care for All Helpline for assistance at 1-800-272-4232 or the Health Connector  Customer Service line at 1-877-MA ENROLL (1-877-623-6765) or TTY 1-877-623-7773. 

Below, please find a list of navigators and a list of certified application counselors who can help you with your application and answer questions.

Navigator Directory

Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02118

Phone: 800-847-0710 or 617-534-5050
Website: bphc.org/programs/cib/civicengagement/mhl/Pages/Home.aspx

Region(s) covered: City of Boston

 

Caring Health Center
1145 Main Street, Suite 205
Springfield, MA 01103

Phone: 413-693-1002
Website: caringhealth.org

Region(s) covered: Springfield metro area

 

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands, Inc.
372 North Street
Hyannis, MA 02601

Phone: 800-845-1999 or 508-771-1727
Website: cacci.cc

Region(s) covered: Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Cuttyhunk Island

 

Ecu-Health Care
71 Hospital Avenue
North Adams, MA 01247

Phone: 413-663-8711
Website: ecuhealth.boxcarexpress.com

Region(s) covered: Northern Berkshire County

 

Greater Lawrence Community Action Council
305 Essex Street
Lawrence, MA 01840

Phone: 978-681-4905
Website: glcac.org

Region(s) covered: Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover

 

Hilltown Community Health Care Centers
58 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098

Phone: 413-238-5511
Website: hchcweb.org

Region(s) covered: The Hilltowns of western MA (11 towns in Hampshire and Hampden counties)

 

Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care in Everett
484 Broadway, Room 27
Everett, MA 02149

Phone: 617-394-2414 or 617-394-0606
Website: jcchce.org

Region(s) covered: Everett, Chelsea, East Boston, Malden, Revere, Somerville

 

Manet Community Health Center
110 West Squantum Street
North Quincy, MA 02171

Phone: 617-376-3000
Website: manetchc.org

Region(s) covered: South Shore – incl. Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Canton, Milton

 

MAPS – MA Alliance of Portuguese Speakers
1046 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 617-864-7600
Website: maps-inc.org

Region(s) covered: Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, Lowell, Lawrence, Framingham, Hudson, Milford, Brockton, Stoughton, Quincy, New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton

 

PACE – People Acting in Community Endeavors
166 William Street
New Bedford, MA 02740

Phone: 508-999-9920
Website: paceinfo.org

Region(s) covered: Greater New Bedford – incl. New Bedford, Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Acushnet, Rochester, Mattapoisett, and Marion

 

Certified Application Counselor (CAC) Organizations

 

Allston

  • Joseph M Smith Community Health Center
    287 Western Avenue
    Allston, MA 02134
    Website: www.jmschc.org

 

Athol

  • Athol Memorial Hospital
    2033 Main Street
    Athol, MA 01331
    Website: www.heywood.org

 

Attleboro

 

Beverly

  • Northeast Hospital Corporation
    (Beverly Hospital, Bay Ridge Hospital & Addison Gilbert Hospital)
    85 Herrick Street
    Beverly, MA 01915
    Website: www.nhs-healthlink.org

 

Boston

  • Boston Health Care for the Homeless
    780 Albany Street
    Boston , MA 02118
    Website: www.bhchp.org
  • Boston Medical Center
    One Boston Medical Center Place
    Boston, MA 02118
    Website: www.bmc.org
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
    55 Fruit Street
    Boston, MA 02114
    Website: www.partners.org
  • North End Community Health Committee Inc.
    North End Watherfront Health
    332 Hanover Street
    Boston, MA 02113
    Website: www.partners.org
  • South Cove Community Health Center
    885 Washington Street
    Boston, MA 02111
    Website: www.scchc.org
  • Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center
    75 Francis Street
    Boston, MA 02115
    Website: www.partners.org

 

Brockton

  • Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
    63 Main Street
    Brockton, MA 02301
    Website: www.bnhc.org

 

Burlington

  • Fishing Partnership Health Plan, d/b/a Fishing Partnership Support Services
    30 Chestnut Avenue, Suite #2
    Burlington , MA 01803
    Website: www.fishingpartnership.org

 

Cambridge

  • Mount Auburn Hospital
    330 Mount Auburn Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138
    Website: www.mah.harvard.edu

 

Charlestown

  • MGH Charlestown Healthcare Center
    73 High Street
    Charlestown , MA 02129
    Website: www.partners.org
  • Partners Healthcare System Inc.
    Schraft Center
    529 Main Street
    Charlestown , MA 02129
    Website: www.partners.org

 

Chelsea

  • MGH Chelsea Healthcare Center
    151 Everett Avenue
    Chelsea, MA 02150
    Website: www.partners.org

 

Dorchester

  • Codman Square Health Center
    637 Washington Street
    Dorchester, MA 02124
    Website: www.codman.org
  • Dorchester House Multi-Service Center
    1353 Dorchester Avenue
    Dorchester, MA 02122
    Website: www.dorchesterhouse.org
  • Harbor Health Services Inc.
    Geiger Gibson Community Health Center
    250 My Vernon Street
    Dorchester, MA 02125
    Website: www.hhsi.us
  • Harbor Health Services Inc.
    Neponset Health Center
    398 Neponset Avenue
    Dorchester, MA 02122
    Website: www.hhsi.us
  • Harvard Street Neighborhood Health
    632 Blue Hill Avenue
    Dorchester, MA 02121
    Website: www.harvardstreet.org
  • Upham’s Corner Health Committee, Inc.
    500 Columbia Road
    Dorchester, MA 02125
    Website: www.uphams.org

 

East Boston

  • East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
    10 Grove Street East
    Boston, MA 02128
    Website: www.ebnhc.org

 

Fall River

  • Healthfirst Family Care Center
    387 Quarry Street, Suite 100
    Fall River, MA 02723
    Website: www.healthfirstfr.org
  • Stanley Street Treatment & Resources Inc.
    (Family Healthcare Center)
    386 Stanley Street
    Fall River, MA 02720
    Website: www.sstar.org

 

Framingham

 

Gardner

  • Heywood Memorial Hospital
    242 Green Street
    Gardner, MA 01440
    Website: www.heywood.org

 

Great Barrington

  • Community Health Programs
    444 Stockbridge Road
    PO Box 30
    Great Barrington, MA 01230
    Website: www.chpberkshires.org
  • Fairview Hospital
    29 Lewis Avenue
    Great Barrington, MA 01230
    Website: www.bhs1.org

 

Greenfield

  • Community Health Center of Franklin County
    489 Bernardston Road
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Website: www.chcfc.org

 

Holyoke

  • Holyoke Health Center
    230 Maple Street
    PO Box 6260
    Holyoke , MA 01041
    Website: www.hhcinc.org

 

Hyannis

  • Harbor Community Health Center – Hyannis
    Ellen Jones Community Dental Center
    30 Elm Avenue
    Hyannis, MA 02601
    Website: www.hhsi.us

 

Jamaica Plain

  • Brookside Community Health Center
    3297 Washington Street
    Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
    Website: www.partners.org
  • Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center (licensed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital)
    640 Centre Street
    Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
    Website: www.partners.org

 

Lawrence

 

Lowell

  • Lowell Community Health Center
    161 Jackson Street
    Lowell, MA 01852
    Website: www.lchealth.org

 

Lynn

  • Lynn Community Health Center
    269 Union Street
    Lynn, MA 01901
    Website: www.lchcnet.org

 

Marlborough

 

Mashpee

  • Community Health Center of Cape Cod
    107 Commercial Street
    Mashpee, MA 02649
    Website: www.chcofcapecod.org

 

Mattapan

  • Mattapan Community Health Center
    1575 Blue Hill Avenue
    Mattapan, MA 02126
    Website: www.matchc.org

 

Medford

  • Cambridge Health Alliance
    101 Station Landing
    Medford, MA 02155
    Website: www.challiance.org

 

Methuen

  • Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
    One Griffin Brook Drive, Suite 101
    Methuen, MA 01844
    Website: www.glfhc.org

 

Milford

  • Milford Regional Medical Center
    14 Prospect Street
    Milford, MA 01757
    Website: www.milreg.org

 

Needham

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Needham Hospital
    148 Chestnut Street
    Needham, MA 02492
    Website: www.bidneedham.org

 

New Bedford

  • Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
    874 Purchase Street
    New Bedford, MA 02740
    Website: www.gnbchc.org
  • Southcoast Hospitals Group
    101 Page Street
    New Bedford, MA 02740
    Website: www.southcoast.org

 

Newburyport

  • Anna Jaques Hospital
    25 Highland Avenue
    Newburyport, MA 01950
    Website: www.ajh.org

 

Pittsfield

  • Berkshire Medical Center
    Berkshire Health Systems
    510 North Street
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Website: www.bhs1.org

 

Plymouth

 

Quincy

  • Manet Community Health Center
    110 W Squantum Street
    Quincy, MA 02171
    Website: www.manetchc.org

 

Roslindale

  • Boston Medical Center d/b/a
    Greater Roslindale Medical & Dental Center
    4199 Washington Street
    Roslindale, MA 02131
    Website: www.bmc.org

 

Roxbury

  • The Dimock Center
    55 Dimock Street
    Roxbury, MA 02119
    Website: www.dimock.org
  • Whittier Street Health Center
    1290 Tremont Street
    Roxbury, MA 02120
    Website: www.wshc.org

 

Salem

  • North Shore Community Health, Inc..
    27 Congress Street
    Salem, MA 01970
    Website: www.nshi.org
  • North Shore Medical Center (Partners HC)
    81 Highland Avenue
    Salem, MA 01970
    Website: www.partners.org

 

South Boston

  • South Boston Community Health Center
    409 W Broadway South
    Boston, MA 02127
    Website: www.sbchc.org

 

Southbridge

 

Springfield

 

Wellfleet

  • Outer Cape Health Services
    PO Box 1413
    Wellfleet, MA 02667
    Website: www.outercape.org

 

West Tisbury

 

Westfield

 

Weymouth

  • South Shore Hospital
    55 Fogg Street
    Weymouth , MA 02190
    Website: www.sshosp.org

 

Worcester

  • Edward M Kennedy Community Health Center
    2000 Century Drive
    Worcester, MA 01606
    Website: www.kennedychc.org
  • Family Health Center of Worcester
    26 Queens Street
    Worcester, MA 01604
    Website: www.umassmed.edu
  • UMass Memorial Medical Center
    1 Biotech
    365 Plantation Street
    Worcester, MA 01605
    Website: www.umassmemorial.org

 

Anne Johnson Landry
Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor
Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger

Published by Anne Johnson Landry

Anne works as Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor to Senator Brownsberger.