Here is an exceprt from this exclusive podcast:
Please explain what your state’s Exchange looks like.
Glen Shor: We actually operate two Exchanges at the Massachusetts Health Connector, one for our subsidized program, Commonwealth Care and the other for our unsubsidized program, Commonwealth Choice. The overriding purpose of each of these Exchanges is to make it easier for people who might have formerly had problems finding affordable coverage to find affordable coverage and thereby find and secure their way into the ranks of the insured.
Commonwealth Care is a state subsidized health insurance program covering about 160,000 people. We offer state subsidies that help make health insurance affordable for adults up to three times the poverty level who don’t have access to affordable employer- sponsored health insurance. They have a choice of five private health plans and half of them pay premiums to contribute to the cost of their coverage.
For Commonwealth Choice, we are a very active market organizer. We offer six standardized health plans for adults and an additional four more for young adults, among seven soon to be eight health insurance carriers. We try to structure a shopping experience that allows people to choose and compare benefits on an apples-to-apples basis and thus find the coverage that best suits their needs and their budgets.
Finally, I should note that we also make policy decisions related to implementation of Massachusetts adult health coverage mandate.
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