2008 Woodie Awards
New state legislation could affect student futures
Law may cause students high out-of-pocket costs
Matt Byrne
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 3 next >
As Massachusetts last year became the first state requiring health insurance for every resident, graduating Emersonians who choose to stay in the state may be left to pay $200 to $300 for monthly coverage or face a tax penalty, reports indicate.
Commonwealth Choice, a higher-end coverage plan designed by the state for those seeking more complete coverage, either individually or with employer assistance, is the last part of the mandatory-coverage law to be designed, and is also the most contentious.
The cost of the program hinges on whether the individual's income is either above or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), equal to $29,400.
The Massachusetts Health Care Connector Authority, an agency established by the new law and charged with its administration, is in talks with BlueCross BlueShield and Tufts Health Plan to determine the rate structure of the Choice program.
Former governor Mitt Romney's original challenge was to find coverage for around $200, but the insurers have come back with plans that move the cost away from a monthly payment and instead, establishes other kinds of requirements.
As a graduate earning more than 300 percent of the FPL, an individual participating in Commonwealth Choice could be left with a monthly premium, high out-of-pocket spending limits and deductibles of $2,000 to $3,000, three to four times what Romney first proposed in 2005.
Talks between the Connector and insurers show that for anyone earning more than 300 percent of the FPL, a financial demographic recent Census data associates with college graduates, premiums could be higher, in the range of $200-$300.
For senior film major Ashley Phillips, that amount would be difficult.
"I'd say $300 means a lot. I've got a considerable amount of student loans, and depending on my job next year, I have to pay for housing and bills and food," Phillips said. "So I think $300 is a lot of money. It's like impossible."
Commonwealth Choice, a higher-end coverage plan designed by the state for those seeking more complete coverage, either individually or with employer assistance, is the last part of the mandatory-coverage law to be designed, and is also the most contentious.
The cost of the program hinges on whether the individual's income is either above or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), equal to $29,400.
The Massachusetts Health Care Connector Authority, an agency established by the new law and charged with its administration, is in talks with BlueCross BlueShield and Tufts Health Plan to determine the rate structure of the Choice program.
Former governor Mitt Romney's original challenge was to find coverage for around $200, but the insurers have come back with plans that move the cost away from a monthly payment and instead, establishes other kinds of requirements.
As a graduate earning more than 300 percent of the FPL, an individual participating in Commonwealth Choice could be left with a monthly premium, high out-of-pocket spending limits and deductibles of $2,000 to $3,000, three to four times what Romney first proposed in 2005.
Talks between the Connector and insurers show that for anyone earning more than 300 percent of the FPL, a financial demographic recent Census data associates with college graduates, premiums could be higher, in the range of $200-$300.
For senior film major Ashley Phillips, that amount would be difficult.
"I'd say $300 means a lot. I've got a considerable amount of student loans, and depending on my job next year, I have to pay for housing and bills and food," Phillips said. "So I think $300 is a lot of money. It's like impossible."
Be the first to comment on this story