Connector wins national honor for innovation in health coverage

The state agency charged with helping people gain health insurance after a landmark law mandated near-universal coverage has won a national award from a Harvard institute, the university announced today.

The Commonwealth Health Connector Authority has won one of six 2009 Innovations in American Government awards, an annual competition administered by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. The Connector will also receive a $30,000 grant.

The Connector is a public-private entity that offers Commonwealth Care, which subsidizes health insurance for people who cannot afford individual insurance plans, do not have employer-sponsored coverage, and are not eligible for Medicaid. The Connector also offers Commonwealth Choice, which helps consumers and small businesses to find commercial insurance plans.

Since the Massachusetts health insurance law passed in 2006, uninsured adults have dropped from 10.4 percent to 2.6 percent in 2008, according to the Connector.

The other winners are:

Data Feeds: Democratization of Government Data, Washington, D.C.
Higher Education Initiative, Kingsport, Tenn.
Mapping Evapotranspiration, state of Idaho
New Leaders for New Schools, Chicago Public School District
Wraparound Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisc.

Here's the Ash Institute's YouTube site for more on the winners (the Connector is second).