Did you know it’s time to sign up for health coverage for 2019?
If you need health coverage, you can enroll at HealthCare.Gov. But hurry, the deadline to enroll in a plan is December 15th – so don’t delay!
Most marketplace shoppers will qualify for financial help to lower their costs, too. In fact, 85 percent of current enrollees receive a tax credit to help lower their monthly premiums. Most enrollees pay less than $100/month for their plan.
And this year, there are new plans available at new prices. Even if you’ve looked before, it’s important to check out your options – coverage might be more affordable than you think.
There’s a lot of confusion about the state of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), but the truth is the ACA is still the law of the land. Comprehensive health coverage, including key consumer protections like no discrimination against people with pre-existing health conditions, is still available to consumers who need to get covered.
We’re busting some of the most common myths about the ACA – check them out below.
Myth #1: Financial help to lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs is no longer available. FALSE.
Financial assistance is still available for low and middle-income consumers to help lower the cost of their plan. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 consumers last year qualified for a tax credit.
Myth #2: The marketplace is not stable and premiums are skyrocketing. FALSE.
In fact, premium price increases for 2019 are expected to be much lower than previous years, and some states will even see price decreases. CMS recently announced a national average drop of 1.5 percent in premiums across states using HealthCare.Gov.
Myth #3: I am no longer protected from discrimination for having a pre-existing condition. FALSE.
All of the consumer protections created by the ACA are still intact, and all plans sold by HealthCare.Gov must provide comprehensive coverage, and cannot charge a consumer more because of their health status or medical history. Plans outside the ACA marketplace don’t have to offer the same protections, so always make sure to use HealthCare.Gov when enrolling in coverage.
Myth #4: Insurers are dropping out. FALSE.
In fact, the highest number of insurers are participating this year since 2015. There will be 23 more insurers participating in HealthCare.Gov states and 29 insurers are expanding their coverage to additional counties in 2019 compared to 2018. That means more choices and competitive prices for consumers.
As always, application assistance is available at Shawnee Health Service.
Our Navigators can help you go through the online system as well as answer questions you might have about the Marketplace. There is no cost for this service, and you do not need to be a patient of Shawnee Health Service to receive assistance.