Commonwealth Care/ Commonwealth Choice
The Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program, or Commonwealth Care for short, was created by the new Massachusetts health reform law. This program provides free or reduced cost health insurance for Massachusetts adults age 19 and older whose income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level and are not eligible for Medicare. For those with higher incomes please see information regarding Commonwealth Choice.
Commonwealth Care plans are offered by four Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, Network Health, Fallon Community Health Plan, and Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts. Not all of these plans are available in every region of the state.
To enroll into Commonwealth Care you must complete a Medical Benefit Request (MBR) form. This is the same form completed for MassHealth and the Uncompensated Care Pool. When you submit the form, you will be checked for eligibility for all health programs, and placed in the best program you qualify for. These forms can be found at many community organization, health centers and hospitals.
The application process can take a few months so it is recommended to contact MassMedLine to seek assistance for the cost of your medications in the meantime. You can complete a MassMedLine Patient Profile or call MassMedLine directly to see what programs may be available to help you.
You can also contact the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority for more information. Visit their website or call 1-877-MA-Enroll
Commonwealth Choice
Commonwealth Choice is a Massachusetts program that helps people find and sign up for approved private health insurance plans that is run by the Massachusetts Health Connector. This program is for those who have a higher income than 300% of the federal poverty level who are unable to get insurance from their jobs or for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. This program is also for those individuals who have the option of a health insurance through their employer but who would rather buy a Commonwealth Choice plan.
Six insurance companies throughout Massachusetts are in this program including, Neighborhood Health Plan, Fallon Community Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan, Blue cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim and Health New England.
Costs for coverage and for services depend on how old you are, where you live, and which plan level and insurance company you choose. You can learn about your options by visiting the Health Connector website or calling 1-877-MA-ENROLL.