The Secrets of Massachusetts’ Success: Why 97 Percent of State Residents Have Health Coverage (Issue Brief)

Publication Year: 
2009

In this issue brief (based on a longer report), SHARE grantee Stan Dorn and his research team present preliminary findings from their evaluation of auto-enrollment procedures in Massachusetts.  The researchers use data from interviews with policymakers, stakeholders, advocates, and others, along with a review of published reports, to identify the factors that were important in encouraging, in particular, the enrollment of eligible, low-income uninsured.  Factors identified include: the use of state data rather than traditional application forms to determine eligibility for subsidies; the use of a single application form and eligibility determination system for multiple subsidy programs; and the completion of applications by community-based organizations and health care providers on behalf of consumers.

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