The health law鈥檚 open enrollment season is just around the corner. Are you ready?
Here鈥檚 a quick checklist for people who don鈥檛 get their health insurance at work and plan to shop for coverage on the health law鈥檚 online exchanges, or marketplaces, starting Nov. 15. You can compare plans and prices at or, if your state has its own exchange, shop there to find out which coverage .聽And you may be eligible for subsidies to help pay your premium.
(Illustration by Andrew Villegas/Kaiser Health News)
Keep these five things in mind as the three-month open enrollment period begins.
鈥� Shop Around: Just because you鈥檙e enrolled in a policy now doesn鈥檛 means it鈥檚 the best deal for you next year. If you鈥檙e currently in the federal marketplace and don鈥檛 take any action, you鈥檒l be re-enrolled in the same plan you鈥檙e in now. Federal officials, as well as many analysts, are urging consumers to go back to the exchanges to . You might discover that you have more 鈥搊r different 鈥� choices than you had a year ago.
鈥� Don鈥檛 Get Billed Twice: Insurers have that if a consumer changes plans, problems with the federal website might keep insurers from learning of the change and consumers could get billed for both plans. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue we鈥檙e aware of and we鈥檙e working with exchange officials to make sure there鈥檚 a solution for consumers,鈥� said Clare Krusing, a spokeswoman for America鈥檚 Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group. Aaron Albright, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said insurers will get lists of individuals who have been automatically enrolled into their current plan as well as those who chose to re-enroll. He also said that the agency is 鈥渆xamining options鈥� on how to provide insurers the names of people who picked another plan during open enrollment.
Just in case, keep proof of payment to answer any billing questions and once you鈥檝e cancelled the old policy watch your credit card statements or, if the payment was deducted directly from a bank account, watch those charges to make sure you aren鈥檛 paying for two policies. And don鈥檛 cancel your current insurance until you have confirmation from your new carrier that you鈥檙e covered.
鈥� Find Out If You Qualify For Financial Help: Enter your most up-to-date income information on healthcare.gov or with your state exchange to see if you are entitled to receive a tax credit toward the cost of your health insurance. Even if you are like the majority of those enrolling in marketplace plans who receive a subsidy, to make sure you get the correct amount next year. This is important because if you get too much of a subsidy, you鈥檒l have to when you file your taxes the following year.
鈥� Know All Costs: It鈥檚 not just the monthly premium that will cost you. , things like co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles, before you enroll. The health law allows of $6,600 for an individual policy and $13,200 for a family policy in 2015 but some of your health care expenses 鈥� including out-of-network care 鈥� in that cap.
鈥斅燝et Help If You Need It: Confused? There are several ways to get help. Work with a local insurance agent or broker. one of the law鈥檚 trained navigators or assistors. Or call the federal consumer assistance center at 800-318-2596 for extra help or to find out if you eligible for a subsidy. Folks there can also help you enroll in a health plan or if you qualify, , the federal-state program for low-income people.