Good Morning MA residents, can any of you explain for me?

[yy4me]

I have been trying to follow the newspaper write-ups regarding the plans of the Governor and the state to offer some options for health care coverage. The more I read, the more I wonder how it will affect me. There always seems to be a sentence that says "almost all" and I bet I will fall into that uncovered gap. Here's the scoop. I am 63 and recently retired after working all my life. I have been covered by employer provided health insurance for which I paid part of the premium. At another time in my life, I was self employed and bought my own insurance thru BCBS. Either way, I have always made it a point to be covered. Now that I have retired, I get a monthly check from Social Security for $537.00, and the decent health care policies that I could get quotes on cost over $700.00 per month.
Needless to say, those are out. I had to but a policy from one of those companies no-one has heard of for a little over $300.00 a month and pray I never need anything. High deductible, high co-pay, no drug coverage. I could not find an alternative. Also, many companies will not write insurance in Massachusetts. Even the health care police mentioned in the AARP publications will not cover anyone in this state.
Does anyone know how the state plans to address the plight of those of us who are not you on Medicare, and do not qualify for the free care pool. I am willing to buy insurance but cannot find anything I can afford. Any of you in the same boat as me? Has anyone found a company they buy insurance from that offers a policy that perhaps I could afford? I would like to get rid of the one I have but cannot find an alternative. How about the prospect of some state sponsored plan that we can buy into? Any help would be great. Thanks

[Squeech]

1. Most of this I don't know either

But I do know why there aren't many companies that market medical insurance in the state-- it's because of auto insurance. Because the state regulates auto insurance severely (and because our drivers have a reputation for recklessness, occasionally deserved), many companies don't want to sell auto insurance. Massachusetts' response is, fine, if you don't want to insure our drivers, you can't write any other kind of business here either.

There are unintended consequences of this idea, one of which is that I have a job doing computer programming that supports the Division of Insurance in its analysis of the Massachusetts auto insurance market. It's not real interesting, but it pays good...

[ed murrow]

2. Huh...

I never realized that that was such an issue for people in your state. I'm suprised aarp didn't have anything to help you with that. They are my gold standard when it comes to that kind of stuff...

I'll look around and see what I can find out!