May 25, 2006
RENOWNED HEALTHCARE STRATEGIST NAMED TO HEAD CONNECTOR
The Romney Administration today announced the appointment of the executive director of the independent authority charged with facilitating the purchase of affordable healthcare insurance products as well as the Governor’s three appointments to the authority’s board.
Administration and Finance Secretary Thomas Trimarco, who under the law makes the appointment, said today that Jon M. Kingsdale, a 25-year health insurance strategist in the Massachusetts market, has accepted his offer to head the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority.
“Jon Kingsdale is an experienced health insurance professional whose knowledge and strategic insights will be critical as we work to implement healthcare reform in Massachusetts,” said Trimarco. “He has a solid understanding of Medicaid law and healthcare finance, and he has the passion, the skills and the background to lead the start-up effort for this historic undertaking.”
Kingsdale most recently served as senior vice president for policy development at Tufts Associated Health Plans, a not-for-profit health insurer. He holds a PhD in economic history from the University of Michigan and has also been on the faculty of Harvard and Boston University Schools of Public Health and Tufts University School of Medicine.
“I am honored to be asked to help implement the bold, innovative strategy forged by Governor Romney, President Travaglini and Speaker DiMasi,” said Kingsdale. “To cover the uninsured, the legislation envisions a new path to affordable, high quality health insurance through the promising innovation known as the Connector. Making it a reality will require further innovation, perseverance and compromise, and I am passionately committed to working with Tom Trimarco, Tim Murphy and the rest of the Connector’s diverse board of directors to create a common path to our common goal.”
The Connector will define what policies can be considered “affordable” and serve as the critical facilitator for the purchase of health insurance by small businesses, non-working individuals and part-time employees. The Connector will provide technical assistance to small businesses to encourage the purchase of health insurance on a pre-tax basis by their employees, which can result in a 10 to 40 percent effective savings. It will also determine what level of premium assistance the approximately 200,000 uninsured residents with incomes less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level will receive.
“Jon’s appointment as executive director is an early and important milestone for the successful implementation of the landmark healthcare reform law,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Timothy Murphy. “I look forward to working with him in order to achieve the many objectives of the Connector. His breadth of experience and commitment to public service will serve him well in this new and exciting position.”
The three members to be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Connector’s board are actuary Bruce Butler, health economist Jonathan Gruber and Rick Lord, CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), who will represent the interests of small business. Five thousand of AIM’s 7,500 members are small businesses. These appointees will join five ex-officio members spelled out in the healthcare reform legislation as well as three recently appointed by the attorney general.
May 25, 2006
ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES FLOOD AID ON ITS WAY
Financial Assistance Available for Individuals & Businesses in 3 Counties
Acting Governor Kerry Healey announced today that federal aid would become available to Massachusetts individuals and businesses hardest hit by the most recent flooding events. The assistance was authorized under a Major Federal Disaster Declaration issued by President George W. Bush after a review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s analysis of Governor Romney’s request for federal assistance for those most impacted by the flooding beginning on May 12, 2006 and continuing.
The President’s action makes Individual Assistance (IA) Programs available to affected individuals and businesses in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties.
The IA Programs are for individuals who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses. Assistance, coordinated by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can initiate the application for assistance process by calling the FEMA Teleregistration numbers: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired or registering on-line at www.fema.gov. The toll-free numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.
Joint FEMA-MEMA assessment teams are currently in the field collecting information in support of an application to the federal government for the Public Assistance (PA) Program. This is a program to assist communities with a 75% share of the costs to repair infrastructure damage, such as roads, bridges, dams and public buildings. Governor Romney expects to file that application as soon as the assessment is complete.
MEMA is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA, go to www.mass.gov/mema.
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