Subsidized Insurance Plans For 950 Massachusetts Residents Not Activated Because Of Computer Error

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 10 Aug 2007 - 20:00 PDT

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Health care coverage for about 950 Massachusetts residents who enrolled in the state-subsidized Commonwealth Care insurance program was not activated because of a computer coding error, the Boston Globe reports. The residents had paid for policies by the July 20 deadline for coverage guaranteed to begin on Aug. 1, but the insurance companies were not notified to add the policyholders to the rolls.

According to Dick Powers -- a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, which oversees the subsidized insurance program -- the problem occurred after the state changed some computer codes that were supposed to send an electronic message to the connector after beneficiaries paid their first bills. However, the codes failed. State officials were unaware of the coding problem until Aug. 1.

The problem has been fixed for about 150 beneficiaries, and Powers said the connector is in the process of correcting the error for the remaining 800 policyholders. Coverage for the policies will be retroactive to Aug. 1. "If they have a problem and show up at the doctor's office, they will be covered," Powers said (Dembner, Boston Globe, 8/7).

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