Survey shows that state’s insurance exchange has managed to serve many people in the state
The health insurance exchange in Massachusetts may have been a resounding success, according to a new survey from the Center for Health Information and Analysis. The state served as a model for the Affordable Care Act, at least when it comes to the formation of an insurance exchange. Massachusetts enacted extensive health care reform in 2006, which lead to the creation of the Massachusetts Health Connector, which was the state’s first iteration of its insurance exchange.
Approximately 96% of people in Massachusetts have found insurance coverage through state’s exchange
Results from the survey from the Center for Health Information and Analysis show that approximately 96% of those living in Massachusetts have used the health insurance exchange to find the coverage that they need. The state’s exchange is still working to overcome significant issues. These issues have made it difficult for many people to find insurance coverage through the exchange, largely due to problems with the exchange’s enrollment system. According to the survey, one in four respondents have reported having an unmet need for health care, which may have been remedied by the availability of the state’s insurance exchange.
High costs are cited as being the reason people avoid insurance coverage and medical care
Those that have avoided purchasing insurance coverage in the past has cited cost as the reason for doing so. These people have also avoided seeking out medical care for the same reason. They survey shows that one in five respondents have reported having difficulty in paying their family medical bills over the past 12 months. Despite financial concerns, more consumers have been using the state’s exchange for find health insurance coverage. Low-income individuals, in particular, have become one of the largest demographics to have found coverage through the state’s exchange.
State continues to work to resolve the problems of its exchange
Massachusetts will continue to work on resolving the issues of its insurance exchange, hoping to have these issues resolved when the next open enrollment period begins later this year. The state was one of the very few that did not institute a special enrollment period this year. This enrollment period was meant to give consumers that did not know they would face tax penalties for not having insurance coverage to purchase policies through state and federal exchanges.