The Connector Board will be meeting Friday to vote on premiums for the Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program (CCHIP), the subsidized coverage for adults 100%-300% of poverty. The program is due to begin enrollment on January 1.
The Connector’s Affordability Committee continues to support its compromise proposal for monthly premiums ranging from $10 to $100 per person. We were pleased that the Committee did not retreat from its original position and support increases in premium amounts. The Committee issued a detailed report with supporting data (see this post for more on the Committee’ recommendations).
Also, Senator Richard Moore, Senate Chair of the Health Care Financing Committee and co-chair of the conference committee for the health reform statute, sent a letter to the Connector Board members supporting affordable premiums. The letter generally supports the Affordability Committee’s recommended schedule, based on the statutory requirement that affordability standards take into account premiums charged for other programs.
And in today’s Globe comparison of the Democratic candidates’ positions on health issues, both Tom Reilly and Deval Patrick explicitly support the Affordability Committee’s recommendation, with Chris Gabrieli noncommittal.
Addendum: 1199SEIU is sponsoring a radio ad in support of affordable CCHIP premiums.
