Passed by the General Court on April 4, 2006, and signed into law by Governor Mitt Romney on April 12, 2006, the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan extends access to health insurance to a larger population of uninsured adult Massachusetts residents through the creation of the Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program.

BMC HealthNet Plan, and their parent organization, Boston Medical Center, worked alongside legislators and state officials in initially crafting this first-in-the-nation program. The Plan, which has been providing insurance coverage since 1997, is offering Commonwealth Care coverage as a second coverage option to its successful MassHealth product. With Commonwealth Care, the Plan is widening the healthcare safety net for those Massachusetts residents who have not previously been eligible for MassHealth.

The Plan works closely with the Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Connector (referred to as the Connector), which is the governing board empowered to make key decisions, approve insurance products, and set affordability standards. The Connector meets regularly with the Plan and the three other managed care organizations (MCOs) to ensure that the standard packages of benefits are of high quality. These meetings are open to the public.

Commonwealth Care Health Insurance provides health care for the whole person: mind, body and spirit. It covers doctors’ visits, hospital stays, specialty care, prescriptions, mental health, dental and vision services, and more. It is available at provider offices throughout eastern, western, and southeastern Massachusetts.