Required Health Insurance for Massachusetts Residents

Massachusetts law requires residents to have health insurance. The state offers programs to help people acquire and pay for the insurance.

Law

• The individual mandate requires Massachusetts residents who are 18 and older to maintain a minimum amount of coverage. The mandate went into effect on July 1, 2007, and it was the first such law in the U.S.

Coverage

• The insurance must provide coverage for primary care, emergency room visits, hospital stays and mental health services. There can be no limit on the maximum benefit each year. The annual deductible for one person is limited to $2,000 and $4,000 for a family.

Commonwealth Connector Authority

• The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority is an agency that helps residents purchase health insurance. The two programs offered to residents are Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice.

Commonwealth Care

• Commonwealth care provides subsidized health coverage for individuals who have an income less than three times the federal poverty level. The program offers low-cost or free insurance to individuals who are U.S. citizens and are over the age of 19.

Commonwealth Choice

• Commonwealth Choice provides private health insurance to individuals, families and small businesses with less than 50 employees. You use pretax dollars to purchase coverage, and you can choose from six different plans.