Open Enrollment for 2015 begins on November 15th. Millions of Americans & others who qualify will be accessing the healthcare.gov website to find out if they are eligible for financial assistance and to select a health insurance plan for next year.
Tip #1. Open Enrollment means that anyone can choose an Individual health insurance plan for 2015. It can be purchased directly from an insurance company or through the Marketplace (Healthcare.gov). Those who want financial assistance must go through the Marketplace.
Tip #2. All ACA compliant Individual health insurance policies will renew on January 1st. It doesn’t matter when you purchased the policy. If you kept a pre-ACA plan, this may not apply.
Tip #3. Pay attention to the dates. A selection must be made by the 15th of the month to be effective on the following 1st of the month. Example: A plan selection completed on December 15th will be effective on January 1st; a selection made on December 17th will be effective on February 1st.
Tip #4. If you enrolled through Healthcare.gov for 2014, it may be possible for your coverage and financial assistance to automatically renew on January 1st. However, this works only for those individuals who gave the Marketplace permission to do this and who do not expect any significant changes from 2014 to 2015. You may not remember exactly what you did a year ago. The wisest choice is to update your information on the Marketplace, determine what financial assistance is available, and select a benefit plan for 2015. *https://www.healthcare.gov/keep-or-change-plan/
Tip #5. There will be changes in the health insurance plans that are available in 2015. 4 insurance companies are offering individual health insurance plans in Nebraska – Assurant Health/Time Insurance Company, BlueCross BlueShield, CoOportunity Health, and CoventryOne. Some benefit plans and provider networks will be modified.
Tip #6. Verify your healthcare.gov account. You may need to update your password. All passwords were changed in April, 2014 to protect the security of the accounts.
Tip #7. Estimate your family’s adjusted gross income for 2015 and compare it to the 2014 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines. *http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines
• You may be eligible for the Advanced Premium Tax Credit if your income is between 100% and 400% of the FPL
• The Cost Share Reduction Subsidy is for those whose income is less than 250% of the FPL
Tip #8. Contact your health insurance agent for additional guidance in reviewing the Marketplace eligibility rules and to set an appointment to complete your 2015 health insurance enrollment.
by Chris McPike, Vice President
ComPro
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