Health Connector targeting Springfield with outreach efforts

As open enrollment begins Friday, the Massachusetts Health Connector is doing targeted outreach in Springfield, one of the communities in the state with the most uninsured residents.

Statistically, the people most likely to be uninsured in Massachusetts are young men and immigrants, particularly Latinos, said Health Connector spokesman Jason Lefferts.

“We want to be active in those communities where young men who are immigrants are living, and we want to make them aware that if they don’t have health insurance, they should have it, and through ConnectorCare, there are opportunities available for them to access more affordable health insurance,” Lefferts said.

The Health Connector is the state’s insurance exchange, where individuals and small businesses can shop for subsidized or unsubsidized health insurance. The annual open enrollment period, where consumers can buy or switch plans, begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 23, 2020.

One new outreach effort added by the Health Connector this year is the creation of “coverage crews” in five cities -- Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn and New Bedford. These are eight to 10 community volunteers in each city who work to raise awareness of the availability of state-subsidized health insurance.

According to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts, there are around 8,300 uninsured individuals in Springfield, or 5.4% of the population.

Samalid Hogan is on the Springfield coverage crew. Hogan, who speaks English and Spanish, works full-time as regional director of a center that advises small businesses. She decided to volunteer with the health insurance crew due to the experience of her father, 72, who moved to Springfield from Puerto Rico last summer with a foot infection that nearly led to amputation. He was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital, signed up for MassHealth, and has had all of his appointments covered by insurance.

Without insurance, Hogan said, “There’s no way we would have been able to cover all those bills.”

Hogan recently walked down Main Street in Springfield visiting businesses and handing out flyers and information about the Health Connector. She and other crew members speak to the media and write social media posts about the availability of coverage.

Hogan said too many Springfield residents think that if they cannot get health care through their employer, they cannot afford it. “That’s just not true,” she said. “It’s just a fear and lack of awareness of the options available to folks.”

As in past years, the Health Connector will have walk-in centers around the state offering in-person assistance to people who want to enroll. In Springfield, there will be a MassHealth Enrollment Center at 88 Industrial Ave. People can also meet with navigators at Caring Health Center locations at 1049 Main St. and 532 Sumner Ave.

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