Cautious Optimism That New State Insurance Site Will Work

The first test of a new Massachusetts health insurance website was a success, a top state official says, leaving him cautiously optimistic that it will be up and running for a critical Nov. 15 deadline. That’s Opening Day for anyone who plans to buy insurance through the Health Connector, or is seeking free or subsidized coverage.

But Maydad Cohen, a top aide to Gov. Deval Patrick, says he’s not sure yet if the site, developed by hCentive, will be ready. So the state will continue to build out both a state and federal option for one more month. If the hCentive site clears a second test in early August, Massachusetts will drop plans to merge with the federal HealthCare.gov for 2015. Work would continue on the state site so that it would be ready for 2016.

Cohen is scheduled to update the Connector board Thursday morning, two months after the state gave up on the idea of trying to fix a site built by Canada-based CGI that never worked.

Some 230,000 residents who could not sign up for insurance online were placed in a temporary coverage plan because the state could not figure out what, if any, insurance assistance program they might qualify for. Each of those men and women will have to a reapply through a new site this November. And 101,000 residents who qualified for subsidized coverage last year, and whose plans have been extended this year, will also have to apply again.

Cohen says the cost of building out two options will be less than the original $121 million estimate, but he can't say how much. An update on how much the state is spending to keep 230,000 people in temporary coverage is expected at Thursday's board meeting.