'MassHealth Applications See Substantial Rise'

There is a sharp rise in requests for free and subsidized health coverage as the economic downturn continues. 10,000 residents applied for MassHealth this month as compared to 6,000 a month last Fall. The state's Medicaid director, Tom Dehner offers one possible explanation.

I anticipate that this increased volume and higher enrollment numbers are going to be directly connected to people who lost employer sponsored insurance.

Dehner says, based on the numbers right now, the state has set aside enough money to handle the increase. The state's Commonwealth Care program is seeing a more modest increase in enrollment.