How do I figure out who my insurer is?

Call MassHealth.

If you think you have Medicaid, call the MassHealth Customer Service Center,
1-800-841-2900 (TTY: 1-800-497-4648 for people with partial or total hearing loss). Give them your Social Security number and they will tell you what program you are enrolled in. There are many different MassHealth programs, depending on how you became eligible for Medicaid.

The people who receive assistance from Medicaid but do not get a card are:

• families for whom MassHealth pays their insurance premiums but who do not receive MassHealth services (the Family Assistance Premium Assistance program) 
  
• "buy-ins" - persons for whom MassHealth pays the Medicare premium but does not provide any other services
  

MassHealth sometimes pays the premiums for other groups of people who have private insurance or Medicare. If MassHealth does this, you have what is called fee-for-service coverage. You will have a MassHealth card if MassHealth covers services not paid for by the private insurance or Medicare.

Most people who receive Commonhealth will have a MassHealth card, but also are not part of MassHealth's managed care program (PCC or HMO). They are considered to be part of the fee-for-service program.

Most families receiving Transitional Assistance or low-income persons with disabilities are covered by either a health maintenance organization (HMO) or by the primary care clinician (PCC) program. You probably will have a MassHealth card. If you are enrolled in an HMO, you will have a card from the HMO, too.

If you have been getting SSDI for two years, you probably have Medicare. Remember, if your SSDI payments are low, you may also be getting MassHealth.

If you are divorced or separated and your ex is working, you may have private insurance through your ex’s employer. If you’re on speaking terms with your ex, ask who the insurer is.

You may have one of the Connector plans. For more information on Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice plans, look at the Connector website.

If you are still unsure, ask the billing office of your doctor or therapist.

NOTE: Private and public insurers sometimes contract with separate companies that manage their mental health benefits. These managed care companies decide whether your insurance will pay for your mental health care.

Next (Who decides what mental health services I get?)