The Massachusetts Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector: structure and functions

The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority is the centerpiece of Massachusetts' ambitious health care reforms, which were implemented beginning in 2006. The Connector is an independent quasi-governmental agency created by the Massachusetts legislature to facilitate the purchase of affordable, high-quality health insurance by small businesses and individuals without access to employer-sponsored coverage. This issue brief describes the structure and functions of the Connector, providing a primer to policymakers interested in exploring similar reforms at the state and national level. The authors describe how the Connector works to promote administrative ease, eliminate paperwork, offer portability of coverage, and provide some standardization and choice of plans. National policymakers looking to achieve similar policy goals may find some of the structural components and functions of the Connector to be transferable to a national health reform model, say the authors.