Massachusetts Health Connector

IdeaCrew has provided health benefit and marketplace solutions to the Massachusetts Health Connector since 2017. The Connector, launched in 2007, was the first health insurance exchange in the nation and became the model for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in reducing the number of individuals without health insurance. While Massachusetts focused on the individual market, achieving the lowest uninsured rate in the country, growth in small group membership through the Connector remained flat. Growth was flat despite the Connector introducing plan choice, partnering with brokers and introducing innovative discounts through health and wellness programs for employers. The Connector lacked the modern technology private exchanges had to make enrollment easier for brokers, employers and their members. To make matters worse there did not appear to be many economical technology options supporting the small group market.

After two failed procurements the Connector looked at the technology being used in the District of Columbia, the most successful small business health options (SHOP) program being operated in the country. IdeaCrew engaged both Massachusetts and D.C. Health Benefit Exchanges to launch a state partnership enabling the Connector to share the small business platform and call center.

• Successfully implemented a fully configured SHOP platform including Broker, Employer, Employee & Admin portals in 5 months
• Seamlessly converted all small businesses to the new platform in the middle of their plan years, without resetting any accumulators with the carriers (such as deductibles).
• Worked with brokers to implement new quoting and appointment tools to help more customers enroll
• Implemented flexible EDI integration that minimized changes required by carriers
• Project managed both the agile implementation and diverse stakeholder engagement

This successful implementation including carrier and broker onboarding resulted in immediate growth. Since its relaunch Massachusetts SHOP was the fastest growing in the country> Membership has increased 90% from 4,500 to over 8,000 members in two years. In a customer survey, 88% of Massachusetts employers would recommend IdeaCrew’s platform to others. The shared services model has resulted in significant financial savings for both Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. Ongoing operations and maintenance costs are divided between the two states based on percentage of enrollment resulting in further cost savings. We are extremely proud to be part of the Massachusetts Connector’s success to date and plans for future growth.