You may have heard of open enrollment for health insurance, but how does enrollment for Obamacare play into this? Open enrollment is the period each year when you can enroll in or modify your health insurance plan. It’s a great time to look for different types of insurance.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) lowers costs for households between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Read on to discover what open enrollment for Obamacare is and how you might benefit.
What is Open Enrollment for Obamacare?
Open enrollment begins November 1st, 2021, and continues through January 15th, 2022. This applies to either individual or family medical insurance plans. The date on which your coverage begins depends on your sign-up date:
- Enroll December 15th or before: coverage begins January 1st, 2022
- Enroll before January 15th: coverage begins February 1st, 2022
For low or no-income households, individuals are eligible to sign up during monthly open enrollment periods.
Currently, there is no federal mandate to enroll in health insurance. However, it’s still a good idea to review your options during open enrollment periods. The ACA makes this particularly easy, especially for low-income households.
What Plans Are Available?
The ACA mandates that health insurers in all states provide coverage for at least the following conditions:
- Preventative care
- Maternity care
- COVID-19 testing
- Mental health
- Emergency services
- Substance abuse services
- Pediatric care
- Prescription drugs
On the marketplace, you can also shop for plans compatible with the ACA. These will be organized into three tiers, bronze, silver, and gold/platinum.
Under the ACA, it’s also prohibited for insurers to deny coverage due to a preexisting condition. Plans also have an out-of-pocket maximum, or the dollar amount your out-of-pocket costs cannot exceed. Therefore, even if you have extensive health expenses, you’re guaranteed to stay below a certain cost.
This is also a good time to consider other insurance plans, like dental plans, vision, and life insurance. At times, marketplace health insurance plans may include additional benefits like these.
What Policies Should You Consider?
It’s always smart to review your coverage options during open enrollment to determine if you may be eligible for a more affordable plan. During the enrollment period, consider all open options.
Think about if your family doctor is covered in-network, what other service providers you may need are in-network, and other factors. Consider how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket and what your average cost of medical care is.
Be Prepared for Open Enrollment
So, what does open enrollment for Obamacare mean specifically? Well, open enrollment is the period during which you can sign up for insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Under Obamacare, this was established as a standardized timeline.
Knowing the steps to prepare for open enrollment will help you know what to do during this period, which only lasts several weeks out of the year. To learn more about managing your options during the open enrollment, get in touch with our insurance agents today.