Massachusetts is launching a major effort to reach out to almost 400,000 residents who must reapply for health insurance because they were enrolled in temporary plans after the state's health care marketplace website crashed last year.State officials fear that many of those people, who don't get health insurance through an employer, don't know they need to reapply.
The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Health Connector, the agency that provides an online place to shop for insurance, plans to roll out 2 million automated phone calls, knock on 200,000 doors, buy advertisements, and hold enrollment fairs.
The campaign could cost up to $19 million, money the state will seek from the federal government.
The temporary insurance coverage ends December 31. Massachusetts is also asking the federal government for an additional $80 million to complete the rebuild of its failed healthcare website, potentially bringing the total project cost to $254 million, with the state on the hook for $30 million.
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