At the start of the pandemic, thousands of Massachusetts residents and people throughout the country lost their jobs and the employer health insurance coverage they relied on to stay healthy.

In compliance with federal law, MassHealth – the state’s Medicaid program – was able to provide health insurance to keep people covered during this difficult time. Now, however, the federal government has ended the provision that suspended regular eligibility redeterminations.

MassHealth is in a year-long federally required process of re-determining who remains eligible going forward. Because incomes and circumstances may have changed since people first enrolled in MassHealth, many will to lose coverage over the next year and become eligible for other coverage options.

MassHealth members will be receiving a renewal form in a blue envelope in the mail to check their eligibility. All members should complete and return their renewal to receive the best health coverage they are eligible for. Some will remain eligible for MassHealth, and others may be determined eligible for health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector.

The Health Connector provides affordable health and dental coverage to about 275,000 Massachusetts residents who do not already have coverage from an employer, spouse, or other source.

According to projections, communities of color and immigrant populations may be disproportionately impacted during this transition. With its diverse population of Vietnamese, Haitian, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking families, Dorchester is a top area of focus for state outreach efforts.

The Health Connector is working to contact and transition as many residents as possible into affordable plans during this time. Through use of local media, health fairs, and targeted person-to-person outreach, Health Connector and its local Navigator partners are working hard to reach people to enroll them into new plans.

To make sure that Dorchester residents remain covered, the Health Connector has:

• Launched an ongoing multilingual campaign with local Navigators at Codman Square Health Center and Uphams Corner Health Center to transition MassHealth members into affordable Marketplace plans.

• Planned a back-to-school roller skating event at Chez Vous in Dorchester on Sun., Sept. 10, featuring free skating for the family plus on-site Navigators to help with new plan enrollment.

For those who need health insurance – whether they are coming from MassHealth, are new to Massachusetts, or need insurance for other reasons – the Health Connector is ready to help.

Many people who will be losing MassHealth already have an account at MAhealthconnector.org. They can go into their account, update information, and then select a plan and get enrolled in new coverage. Many of them will qualify for help paying for their coverage through subsidized premiums, along with low co-pays and no deductibles for those who qualify for ConnectorCare.

People with questions can, along with local Navigators, call 877-MA-ENROLL (877-623-7773) and get help with their application and getting into coverage

Having access to reliable health coverage can make all the difference for a community: from improving physical and mental health, to preventing financial challenges due to medical emergencies.

Over the past several years, Massachusetts has reached record levels of health coverage across populations, age groups, and communities. The Massachusetts Health Connector is proud to be working to maintain those gains in Dorchester, and across the Commonwealth.

Audrey Morse Gasteier is executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector.