You currently have insurance...

If you currently have insurance you will be required to "prove" you have it to the state on your State Income Tax forms. Please note that starting Jan 1, 2009 you will need to prove that you have health insurance and that it meets the State's minimum creditable coverage requirements on your tax return. If you are getting your insurance through your employer, we recommend you check to see how much your employer is contributing towards your plan (i.e. if they are paying 50 percent or less of the premium etc.).

Some other scenarios that might fit your situation...

If you have insurance through your employer and your employer is paying less than 20% of the annual cost of the premium of a family health plan or less than 33% of an individual plan AND your gross income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level, you may be eligible for Commonwealth Care or a Mass Health Program.

(300 percent of the FPL for an individual is approximately $32,676 (NOTE every April 1- the FPL amount will increase/be adjusted) and to find what 300 percent FPL for a family is, add an additional $11,460 for each additional dependent to amount for an individual (see the Insurance Partnership's web site for a better understanding of the FPL which is also referred to as income ceilings). However, annual gross income for those who are self-employed, seasonal workers, don't have regular pay stubs, and/or have combination income sources (W-2 income, 1099 income, etc.), is determined differently from those with just W-2 income wages with regular pay stubs. Those whose income is not solely from W-2 income sources with regular pay stubs, should contact an enrollment specialist in person to determine what their income is)

If you are paying full price for insurance as an individual and you are not getting any assistance for your premium payment (you are paying 100 percent of total cost of the premimum), and your gross income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty line- you may be eligible for Commonwealth Care or a Mass Health Program.

If you are not eligible for Commonwealth Care, and are paying full price for your own insurance and have some self employment income and/or pay out money to make your art, and your gross income after business expenses (line 22 of your federal tax form) is under 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, you may be eligible for the Insurance Partnership.

If you are under 26, you may now be able to purchase insurance through your parent(s) health plan due to the Dependent Coverage Extension Requirement, taking effect on Jan 1, 2007.

If you are a college student and are enrolled in one of the plans offered by your school and you are under 26, you may now be able to purchase insurance through your parent(s) health plan due to the Dependent Coverage Extension Requirement, taking effect on Jan 1, 2007.

Your employer(s), due to the new law's requirements, may now offer you the option to participate in a 125 Cafeteria Plan or you may be eligible to participate in a 125 Cafeteria Plan through the Connector.

You may want to see if the Commonwealth Choice Plans (available to those who are age 18 and older) or if the Young Adult Plans (available for those who are 18-26 yrs. old was 19-26 yrs.) are better choices for you than the insurance you currently have (chances are those plans will not be as good and inclusive as the insurance you have, but you should still research your options). We recommend that you first make sure that you are not eligible for Commonwealth Care or a MassHealth Program.

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NEW Private Insurance Rules- don't miss a payment or get dropped from your insurance plan if you are buying it 100% yourself!

IN 2010 the insurance companies convinced the state legislature that people in the private insurance makret were "gaming the system" and causing the insurance companies to lose money. So the state legislature changed the law governinng when and under what circumstances individuals can buy insurance in the private market place. No advocates were consulted on this change before it became law. This new law did not change the rules for those in subsidized care, or how businesses can buy insurance. The law only changed it for those individuals who earn over 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Line. (For the record the Artists Health Care Working and Healthcare for Artists.org were against how this change was put into place and testified against it).

There is now a strict open enrollment period and if individuals miss that period (or they get kicked off their plan) they will more than likely be locked out of buying insurance unless they have a "qualifying event". Note if your employer offers you insurance and it meets minimal credible coverage, you are not allowed to forgo your employer's insurance and buy insurance on the private market place- unless you have a qualifying event (so if you dont' like the insurance your employer is offering you is not sufficent to allow you to buy private insurance even if you can afford it). The Connector has Young Adult Plans (YAP) for those who are 18-26 years of age. The YAP plans can only be purchased through the Connector. Please make sure you read our buyer beware information on the YAP Plans in our Health Care Options Available section of our Guide for Artists. Note the same applies on the YAP plans as it does in the private insurance market place.

For more information and to see what a "qualifying event" is: the Connector's PDF fact page. We also urge you to call Health Care for All's FREE Helpline for information and help: 1-800-272-4232. AND call your state representative and state senator and urge them to change this law!