Connector offering guidance but some consumers “scared” by higher costs
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, OCT. 30, 2025…..Open enrollment for 2026 kicks off at the Massachusetts Health Connector on Saturday, and officials are girding for a drop in membership fueled by shifting federal policies and confusion over the fate of health insurance subsidies.
In October, the state’s health insurance exchange counted 383,979 enrollees in individual market health coverage, with the majority signed up for heavily subsidized ConnectorCare plans.
“We are pretty much at a high watermark right now in terms of our enrollment, so we are braced for that to potentially decline as a result of some of these changes in eligibility for ConnectorCare and some of the premium dynamics,” Health Connector Director Audrey Morse Gasteier told reporters Thursday afternoon.
Thousands of Bay Staters signing up for coverage will see higher premium costs amid a federal government impasse on the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Morse Gasteier said she’s worried some residents might choose to walk away from the Health Connector altogether as they reel from fear or sticker shock.
“Certainly here in Massachusetts, we will go all in on going back and finding anybody who we have new and updated and more optimistic information for about what their options are for 2026,” Morse Gasteier said. “It’s also the case that in Massachusetts, I think it’s important to underscore we have a whole array of additional supports that are not in play in other states, specifically our ConnectorCare program.”
Bay Staters have until Dec. 23 to enroll in coverage that starts on Jan. 1. Open enrollment wraps up on Jan. 23, when residents can sign up for coverage that starts in February.
The Health Connector offers a blend of health and dental coverage. Carriers include Altus Dental, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Delta Dental, Fallon Health, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health New England, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and WellSense Health Plan.
This year’s open enrollment comes at a tumultuous time, with the ongoing federal government shutdown influenced by the push from Democrats to extend enhanced premium tax credits. U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he’s open to negotiating ACA credits once the government reopens, according to POLITICO.
Those credits are slated to expire at the end of the year under a pandemic-era law, and Democrats warn that premiums will soar without extending them.
“I will say that we have gotten some phone calls that are very concerning,” Morse Gasteier said. “We are getting contacted by enrollees who are in extreme duress looking at their premium, looking at changes in their eligibility for ConnectorCare, who are scared.”
She added, “I think we’re just in the very early days of getting that kind of real-time input from the public as they’re reacting to the impact of these federal policy changes coming out of D.C.”
Some 19,000 residents earning between 400% to 500% of the federal poverty level could become disqualified from ConnectorCare plans starting on Jan. 1, though officials say they could regain tax credits if they’re ultimately extended by Congress. Meanwhile, 37,000 members who are noncitizens but lawfully present here will lose eligibility for tax credits on Jan. 1 under a policy change in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“One of the things my constituents are really concerned about is the fact that because the extension of the ACA tax benefits are not included in this continuing resolution, they’re getting bills now where they’re seeing their health care premiums double, and in some cases, triple,” U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern told the News Service Wednesday. “People can’t afford that.”
Morse Gasteier stressed that Bay Staters have “many, many weeks” before they need to select a plan and make a payment. The Connector has already notified members about their shifting eligibility and encouraged them to remain covered through other plans, she said. The Connector’s call center also has extra agents who have been trained to help residents navigate federal policy changes.
“We’re being very clear and fact-based with people so they can make the most informed choices for themselves and their family, and letting people know if anything changes, we will be back in touch you with you ASAP,” Morse Gasteier said. “We will marshal all sorts of support and communications to make sure people have what they need to make newly informed decisions.”
Bay Staters are required to have health insurance under state law. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the expiration of tax credits could result in 4.2 million people nationally becoming uninsured by 2034.
“We hope that people don’t drop coverage, that they still make the choice to remain insured because of all of the health care access and financial security that comes with that, but we know it will force tough decisions for people,” Morse Gasteier said. “I don’t think it will be a one-to-one comparison with the dynamic we’ll see nationally, again because Massachusetts has these other supports in place that we think will soften the blow here.”
