Time is running out: are you insured?
Last year, the Commonwealth passed a law that requires all residents of Massachusetts 18 and older to have health insurance, if an affordable plan is available to them. Everyone must be signed up for coverage by December 31, 2007 to avoid financial penalties.
This means the deadline to sign up for coverage is quickly approaching. Because coverage for most insurance plans begins at the beginning of the month, the state is encouraging all eligible citizens to sign up for plans by November 15, 2007. Since it usually takes a few weeks to process an application, the 11/15 date should ensure that people are covered sometime after 12/1/07 but well before the 12/31/07 cut off date.
Massachusetts will be enforcing this law through personal income taxes. People will be given a special form with their state income tax form to prove that they had coverage as of December 31, 2007. The penalty for non-compliance is the loss of the personal income tax exemption, which is about $219.00. Beginning in January of 2008, the penalty will go up. People will be fined for every month they do not have coverage.
To get help figuring out if you need insurance, what kind of insurance you can get, and how much that may cost you, check out these resources:
More information from AIDS Action
The Health Connector customer hotline: 1-877-MA ENROLL (623-7655)
The Health Connector website: http://www.mahealthconnector.org/
Health Care For All health reform hotline: 800-272-4232
