Reminder: Open Enrollment Ends December 15th!

Open enrollment is a window of time each year when individuals and families who do not have employer sponsored coverage can enroll in, or make changes to their health insurance coverage.

Outside of the annual open enrollment period, individuals cannot make changes to their health insurance elections during the year unless they qualify for special enrollment periods (SEPs) due to a qualifying life event such as marriage, graduation, or changes in employment status. Open enrollment, or OE, typically runs from the late fall until mid-December, though it can vary by state. For those looking to update or modify their coverage for 2020, the open enrollment period began on November 1^st and continues until December 15^th. This is the time when those looking for healthcare should conduct research and decide what healthcare plan fits best for you as an individual or for your family. Plans sold during the open enrollment period begin offering coverage on January 1, 2020.

Thanks to the ACA, insurers are now barred from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions as well as other factors like race, gender or age. We encourage you to research your healthcare option thoroughly. Recently, new insurance products that such as - short term plans and association health plans, that do not have to comply with the ACA’s non-discrimination rules, have proliferated. These plans can offer cheaper premiums, but may not cover many of your most basic healthcare needs like prescription drugs, emergency room services, maternity benefits or preventive screenings and can charge higher out of pocket costs.  You can find more information about threats to coverage here.

While the AHA works every year to get the word out there and remind patients to research and sign up for a health care plan that works for them, this year we are taking it a step further and working with an organization called Health Sherpa. Health Sherpa guides patients through the health care sign up process, making things easy for patients, but with the added bonus that they only direct patients to high quality, comprehensive health care plans that are compliant with all provisions of the Affordable Care Act. This means you don’t have to worry about accidentally signing up for a plan that does not cover treatments for pre-existing conditions, essential health benefits and more.

For more information on how to enroll, open enrollment deadlines and more please visit Health Sherpa’s website or Healthcare.gov or to learn more.

Don’t forget, the open enrollment period for healthcare coverage begins in most states is under way and continues until December 15^th. Please don’t miss out on your chance to enroll or update your coverage. If you have specific questions regarding deadlines or what healthcare options are available to you, please visit Healthcare.gov.