Dukes County has received a grant for $55,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services to conduct outreach and enrollment services for the state’s affordable insurance programs.
The programs are MassHealth and Commonwealth Care and, for people with higher incomes, Commonwealth Choice.
Commonwealth Care offers membership in managed care organizations, with subsidized premiums offered on a sliding scale. Boston Medical Center HealthNet is the health plan that is available on the Island. To qualify, individuals can have a gross income of up to $30,636, and a household of four can earn up to $61,956. There is no cost for people with the lowest incomes. Others may pay between $35 and $120 per month, depending on their income.
Plan benefits include inpatient and outpatient medical care, prescription drugs, emergency care, inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse care, vision care, and numerous other services.
“We have enrolled over 800 Islanders in Commonwealth Care already, not to mention another 1,000 or so in MassHealth, Free Care and related programs,” said Sarah Kuh, director of the access program.
“It is remarkable to sign people up for insurance when they have been uninsured for years — and not getting the health care they need — because they could not afford health insurance,” Ms. Kuh said.
“We look forward to providing information and assistance to anyone on the Island who may be interested in applying for Commonwealth Care.”
More information is available by calling the Vineyard Health Care Access Program at 508-696-0020.
Comments
Comment policy »