State, insurers boost health insurance signup efforts

As the Jan. 23 deadline to enroll in health insurance plans through the Massachusetts Health Connector nears, the state and local insurers are boosting efforts to reach people in need of coverage.

The state estimates that about 265,000 people will see their insurance expire at the end of the month, and the last day to enroll in new plans through the Health Connector is Friday. They have insurance through legacy Commonwealth Care plans or are receiving temporary MassHealth coverage, but those plans expire Jan. 31.

In order to accommodate people who need to enroll in new plans, the Health Connector and MassHealth have extended call center hours and added staff at walk-in centers in Boston and Worcester. Call center hours will run from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Jan. 23, and extra staffing will be on hand at the walk-in centers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. The state is encouraging people to apply online, however, and seek assistance as needed.

Meanwhile, those shopping for plans through the Health Connector whose insurance does not expire at the end of the month have until Feb. 15 to apply, according to CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts, a managed care organization that sells plans through the Health Connector. Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President Timothy Murray joined CeltiCare at the Worcester Public Library on Tuesday to encourage people to enroll ahead of the deadline.

“Having affordable health care is a vital piece of the local economy,” Murray said in a statement. “When a worker can go to the doctor without fear of high costs, then both the business and the individual benefit.”

Other insurers gathered at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester on Jan. 7 for an event hosted by the Health Connector to help people sign up for insurance.

Carrie Wattu, spokeswoman for Worcester-based insurer Fallon Health, said in an e-mail that approximately 40,000 MassHealth recipients in Central Massachusetts need to enroll in new subsidized plans by Feb. 15, or they’ll lose coverage.