Providing Health Care for the Unemployed: The Medical Security Trust Fund

The Medical Security Trust Fund, which funds health insurance for more than 30,000 people in Massachusetts, is at risk of running out of money within the next few months. The Trust pays for health insurance coverage for people with incomes less than 400 percent of the federal poverty line who are receiving unemployment compensation. However, because the funding for the Trust has never kept pace with inflation, because money has been taken out of the Trust for other purposes, because the length of time individuals can receive unemployment benefits has been extended, and with employer contributions currently low and unemployment high, this piece of the state's health care safety net is at risk of unraveling.

November 17, 2009 | PDF | Factsheet