CHP Health Insurance Team Accepting Appointments for Open Enrollment Assistance

09:35AM / Tuesday, November 08, 2022Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — It's time to renew health insurance coverage for 2023, and the Community Health Programs insurance team is available to help Berkshire region residents with updating their MA Health Connector insurance plan.

The Open Enrollment period runs Nov. 1, 2022-Jan. 23, 2023. Anyone wishing to make an appointment with a CHP Patient Navigator can call 413-854-2816 or email enrollment@chpberkshires.org. Appointments take place online or in person, and there is no cost.

Anyone can enroll or update their plan online with the MA Health Connector, but CHP's insurance team can often navigate this process more quickly and easily.

William Cruz, lead certified patient navigator at CHP said, "Don't ignore those letters from MA Health Connector, because health insurance is mandatory in Massachusetts. We are glad to help anyone regardless of whether they are a CHP patient, and our services are free."

Health Connector customers must report any income changes to maintain qualification for ACA insurance and for any available subsidies. But now is also the time to review existing coverage and make plan changes, enroll for the first time, or report any changes in your dependents or other family changes.

CHP Patient Navigators can also help make sure that eligible MA Health Connector customers don't miss out on expanded subsidies made available by the American Rescue Plan Act this year.

Clients seeking assistance are asked to bring proof of income to their appointment.

Tags: CHP,

Elevated Mercury Level Found in Center Pond Fish

11:41AM / Friday, December 19, 2025

BECKET, Mass. — The state Department of Public Health has issued an advisory after a mercury-contaminated fish was found in Center Pond.

According to a letter sent to the local Board of Health from the Division of Environmental Toxicology, Hazard Assessment and Prevention, elevated levels of mercury were measured in the sample taken from the pond.

The concentration in the fish exceeded DPH's action level of 0.5 milligrams per kilogram, or parts per million.

"This indicates that daily consumption of fish from the waterbody may pose a health concern. Therefore, DPH has issued a FCA for Center Pond recommending that sensitive populations should not eat chain pickerel and all other people should limit consumption of chain pickerel to 2 meals/month," the letter states.

The letter specifically points to chain pickerel, but the 60-acre pond also has largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch.

The "sensitive populations" include children younger than 12, those who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant.

The Toxicology Division recommends reducing intake of "large, predatory fish" or fish that feed on the bottoms of waterbodies, such as largemouth bass and carp. More information on safely eating fish can be found here.

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