Mandated Health Insurance: Who Really Benefits?

A few years, Massachusetts passed a mandated health insurance law for all residents to participate or be fined. Residents who are not able to get health insurance from their employers can now go to the Commonwealth Connector website to apply for health insurance that is affordable to them.

While the program has benefited some residents, there are still many residents who are making ends meet to pay for their monthly health insurance premiums or don't have it all. 

The question I pose is, "Who really benefits from mandated health insurance laws?" My answer based upon conversations with others and being a healthcare advocate is simply the poor or individuals/families who pay for subsidized care based upon their income levels or being unemployed.

Unfortunately, many other families/indivduals or even small business owners are stuck paying  for high premiums; exoboriant co-pays; sky-rocketed deductibles; and are getting harassed by some medical providers to pay their portion of the bills for surgical care prior to receiving surgery for either themselves or for their family members.

Furthermore, one health insurance provider in the area eliminated their dental care for their members after raising their monthly premiums and, instead, hired an expensive billing collection company out of state to harass members to pay what they still owe for care or be taken to court for immediate legal action.

There is one loophole for families to think of to get subsidized care. Some families are choosing to have their spouse who works a lower paying job to file separately on their income tax with their children to be eligible for either Mass Health or pay a subsidized cost for their health insurance.

Another loophole is for some families to apply for the MassHealth Family Assistance Program through the Division of Medical Assistance to see if they qualify for a monthly subsidy to defer the high costs they are paying for their health insurance.

My recommendations to my state legislators are the following:

1.) Investigate and hold a public hearing for the CEOs of these health insurance companies to explain how they are using their members' premiums to provide the high quality of service they claim benefit their constituents.

2.) Mandate that each health insurance company including Mass Health provide the public with the breakdown on how members' premiums or taxpayers' dollars are used to pay for each service and for adminstrative costs.

I welcome your feedback.