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Proposed new rules for Commonwealth Care patients debated

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Kay Lazar December 11, 2008 03:45 PM

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Thousands of Bay State consumers enrolled in subsidized health insurance could be automatically assigned to the lowest-cost plans during their yearly renewal, under proposals debated today by state regulators.

The Connector Authority Board reviewed proposed contracts for the companies that will insure the 162,000 residents covered by Commonwealth Care, which is insurance for people who don't qualify for employer-sponsored health coverage and earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

One of the key proposals, aimed at saving the state as much as $10 million a year, would require that Commonwealth Care customers who receive totally-subsidized care -- roughly 84,600 people -- be automatically enrolled in the cheapest plans, if they don't make another choice within three months of their renewal date.

Some board members said they worried that the new process would mean that many CommCare patients would end up in health plans that didn't include their regular doctors, creating upheaval for consumers who already are struggling with financial and other issues.

"These (people) are not commodities we can just move around," said board member Nancy Turnbull, who is an associate dean in the Harvard School of Public Health.

Under the current process, CommCare patients who do not select an insurance plan during their yearly renewal are automatically assigned to their current plan.

The Connector Board is scheduled to vote Dec. 19 on the final language for the proposed contracts, which will go into effect July 1.

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About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

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