Governor M. Jodi Rell today said that public interest in Connecticut’s new Charter Oak Health Plan continues to grow, telling a news conference at the Community Health Center in Middletown that the state has received more than 10,000 calls and 3,000 applications received since the plan opened to the public on July 1.
Governor Rell also used the occasion to highlight the Community Health Centers, Inc. – which serve 70,000 patients through some 300,000 visits annually – for becoming an enrolled medical provider with all three of the insurers that will be serving Charter Oak beneficiaries: Aetna Better Life, AmeriChoice and Community Health Network.
“The high number of applications and calls in a very short time is further indication that we have been right all along when we said Charter Oak would meet a tremendous need in Connecticut,” Governor Rell said. “There has been phenomenal response from the public. Charter Oak represents dependable health insurance that real people from all walks of life can afford. With premiums and deductibles based on your ability to pay, your income and the size of your family, this is a real-world solution to a serious need.
“Whether you are a recent college graduate or the head of a household, Charter Oak can change your life,” the Governor said. “There is no exclusion for pre-existing medical conditions. This is virtually unique among affordable health insurance programs.”
Community Health Center, founded in Middletown in 1972, now has 164 sites for the provision of health care services – including 125 that are school-based – with larger facilities in Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Clinton, Old Saybrook, New London, Groton, Meriden, New Britain and Enfield.
“Community Health Center, now celebrating its 35th anniversary, exemplifies the outstanding services provided by the network of Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout the state,” the Governor said.
The Governor stressed, “If you are uninsured, don’t wait – get your application in now. Call the Charter Oak customer service center at 1-877-77CTOAK or go on-line at
www.charteroakhealthplan.com. Join the thousands of Connecticut residents who have already taken this important first step.”
The capacity of Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve residents statewide received a major boost in September 2006, when Governor Rell announced $25.8 million in bonding to expand medical and dental facilities in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Torrington, Meriden, Stamford, Norwalk, New Britain, Norwich, East Hartford, Willimantic and Putnam.
The Department of Social Services reported to Governor Rell today that the Charter Oak customer service center had received 3,236 applications and 10,486 calls through close of business Wednesday. In addition to the high number of calls, the Charter Oak website has received over 29,500 hits and is averaging more than 1,950 visits a day.
The Charter Oak Health Plan is the first health plan in the nation for the uninsured that does not require income limits, employer mandates or individual mandates. Individual premiums range from $75 to $259 and annual deductibles range from $150 to $900, depending on the enrollee’s household income.
Governor Rell reminded the public that the Charter Oak Health Plan’s free hotline, 1-877-77-CTOAK (1-877-772-8625) is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. More information and the Charter Oak application can be found at
www.charteroakhealthplan.com 24 hours a day.
