The number of Massachusetts residents seeking information about the state's new subsidized health insurance plan is "overwhelming" the call center set up to help them, and the volume of calls is "expected to soar over the next eight weeks as people rush to get insurance so they can avoid a tax penalty," the Boston Globe reports. Under state law, most Massachusetts residents must obtain health coverage by Dec. 31 or face a tax penalty.

According to the most recent numbers available, call volume is four times higher than the state expected. The surge in calls in part is because of higher-than-expected enrollment in Commonwealth Care, the state's subsidized insurance program for residents with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level who do not have access to employer-sponsored health coverage.

Nearly 140,000 residents are enrolled in the program, which was the total enrollment projected by the state for July 2008. A surge in calls is expected within the next six weeks because people already enrolled in a plan will be able to switch insurers and the state expects calls from many of the 45,000 residents it recently sent letters to informing them of possible eligibility.

The state contracts with a private company that manages the call center. Under the contract, no more than 3% of calls per month can go unanswered and the average time callers spend on hold can be no longer than one minute. However, on average, 7.4% of calls were unanswered in the last six months. In September, an average of 15% of calls were unanswered and callers were on hold for an average of about four minutes.

The state has not imposed financial penalties on the company because call volume has been so much higher than expected. The company is in the process of training more operators to meet demand and help callers understand the complexity of the program. The state expects to have 50 operators at the call center by next week (Dembner, Boston Globe, 11/5).