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Health insurance is critical to helping you control your health care costs. You pay health care companies a premium, a set amount of money each month – and you get benefits to pay for your eligible health care expenses. This can include regular doctor checkups or injuries to treatment for long-term illnesses.
You can purchase individual health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace on your own or we can help you work through your options. although it’s called individual health insurance, you can also find plans to cover your family.
We all know how expensive health care can be. That’s why it is so important to have health insurance so you’re prepared for when you or your family have medical needs. With health insurance you can…
Access preventive care services like checkups, which are covered at 100%.
Prepare for the unexpected.
Outside of the individual market’s annual open enrollment period, a short-term health insurance policy might be your best option, especially without a qualifying event. Short-term plans generally provide the most comprehensive coverage available outside of open enrollment.
Short-term policies have been around for some time. They are a good option for people who are between jobs or waiting for a new employer’s coverage to become effective. Unlike regular individual major medical plans, short-term health insurance policies are not regulated by the Affordable Care Act and their sale is not limited to open enrollment windows.
If you experience a qualifying event that triggers a special enrollment period, you’ll need to apply for an ACA-compliant policy (on or off-exchange) during your special open enrollment period, which lasts for 60 days in most cases. If you opt for a short-term policy instead, you will not have the option to switch to an ACA-compliant plan after your open enrollment period ends. But, if you miss open enrollment and haven’t experienced a qualifying event, a short-term policy will provide you with up to six months of coverage in most states.
Short-term plans are typically offered with a selection of premiums, deductibles and benefit maximums. The policies are considerably less expensive than ACA-compliant major medical plans, so you may find that you can afford to purchase a plan with a low deductible and a high-benefit maximum. Plus, healthy applicants can secure immediate individual and family coverage, with plans that can start almost immediately.
The policies also cover a range of physician services, surgery, outpatient and inpatient care. In addition, policyholders can often choose their own doctor and hospital without restrictions, though there may be financial incentives for using in-network providers.
Short-term major medical plans may be a great fit for healthy folks who just need temporary coverage, but the plans weren’t designed to cover everything, and they do not provide coverage for all of the ACA’s essential benefits.
They typically will not cover your routine office visits, maternity, mental health or preventive care – and they do not cover pre-existing conditions. They also still use medical underwriting, which means that applicants with serious pre-existing conditions may not be able to get short-term coverage. Be sure to check the list of exclusions on any policy.
Give me a call to find out if short-term health insurance is an option for you.
There is much confusion around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
The ACA is a law that guarantees everyone has minimum essential health care coverage. You can’t be denied ACA health insurance coverage because of a pre-existing health condition, and you can’t be charged more for your plan because of it.
It’s important to know what’s required under the ACA. Here’s what you need to know as you get started:
When you’re looking for health care coverage, check the health plans you’re considering to be sure it says it meets “ACA minimum essential coverage.”
There are several ways to buy health insurance:
Depending on your family situation and annual income, you may be able to get a tax credit to help offset your health insurance costs. You can visit healthcare.gov to see if you qualify for a tax credit before you start buying your plan.
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