Connecticut: @AccessHealthCT launches #CoveredCT Special Enrollment Period for eligible residents

via Access Health CT:

Access Health CT Announces Special Enrollment Period For Covered Connecticut Program

• Eligible Connecticut residents have until June 30 to enroll

HARTFORD, Conn. (Feb. 15, 2022) — Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced a Special Enrollment Period for the Covered Connecticut Program that provides health insurance at no cost to Connecticut residents who meet eligibility requirements. This Special Enrollment Period runs now through June 30.

Created and funded by the State of Connecticut, the Covered Connecticut Program pays the customer’s portion of the monthly payment (premium) directly to their insurance company. The program also covers the cost-sharing amounts they would typically have to pay with a health insurance plan, such as co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs.

To qualify for the Covered Connecticut Program, Connecticut residents must: meet income requirements, be a parent or caretaker relative with children in the household that are under age 19 (if the children are age 18 or older, they must be full-time students in secondary school), use all the financial help available through Access Health CT and be enrolled in an eligible Silver level health insurance plan. For details on income requirements and more, visit AccessHealthCT.com and search “Covered Connecticut” or click here.

Coverage begins on the first of the month following enrollment. For example, if a person enrolls on February 5, their coverage begins March 1.

“The significant financial help eligible residents can receive through the Covered Connecticut Program makes enrolling in a health insurance plan an affordable option for even more people, which advances a critical part of Access Health CT’s mission – reducing the number of uninsured people in our state,” said Chief Executive Officer of Access Health CT, James Michel.

To determine if you are eligible, have your questions answered and enroll in the Covered Connecticut Program during this Special Enrollment Period, call the Access Health CT Covered Connecticut Program hotline at 860-241-8478, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

As a reminder, here's the details on the new Covered Connecticut program:

Some Connecticut residents that meet specific eligibility requirements will be paying $0 for their healthcare coverage through Access Health CT, thanks to the new Covered Connecticut Program created by the State of Connecticut. The Covered Connecticut Program is administered by the State Office of Health Strategy in partnership with the Department of Social Services, the Insurance Department and Access Health CT.

Parents/caretakers, and their tax dependents, must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in the Covered Connecticut Program:

1. Have a household annual income that is greater than 160%, and up to and including 175% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
2. Have at least one dependent child in the household under age 19. A child who is age 18 must be a full-time student.
3. Be eligible for Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) and Cost Sharing Reductions (CSRs)
4. Use 100% of Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) and Cost Sharing Reductions (CSRs) available to you, along with the expanded American Rescue Plan (ARP) financial assistance.
5. Be enrolled in an eligible Silver Level Plan

Background: In this new program, the State of Connecticut will pay the consumer portion of the monthly payment (premium) directly to insurance carriers (Anthem/ConnectiCare) and will also pay for all of the costsharing amounts (deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance and maximum out-of- pocket costs) that customers normally would have to pay with a health insurance plan.

Beginning July 1, 2022, this program will also include coverage for visiting the dentist and non- emergency medical transportation (NEMT) to see providers. The health insurance plan will be a Silver Plan offered by either Anthem or ConnectiCare through Access Health CT. The dental benefits and non-emergency transportation will be administered by the Department of Social Services.

This is a nice little program (there's only around 40,000 CT residents who could even theoretically be eligible according to Louise Norris). Starting eligibility at 160% FPL confused me (I would've figured 150%, since the American Rescue Plan makes ACA policies nearly free up to that point anyway...in 2022, at least), until David Anderson noted that Connecticut has a higher Medicaid eligibilty level than most states for adults with minor children...160% FPL, to be precise.