Hello HumanKindness.

Navigating the Health Insurance Marketplace

Print Page

By Molly Abbuhl, Director of Patient Financial Services

January 23, 2015

Need health insurance coverage in 2015? There’s still time to enroll, and our certified application counselors can help! Open enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace ends February 15, 2015.

Whether you are new to the Marketplace or already have a Marketplace plan, Trinity Hospital Twin City is here to help! Call one of our Certified Application Counselors at 740-922-2800 for more information or to schedule a free appointment. Or you can contact the Marketplace Call Center at 800-318-2596 or visit www.healthcare.gov for more information.

The Marketplace helps people without health insurance coverage enroll in a plan. There are 4 categories of plans offered in the Marketplace-Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The category you choose affects how much you will pay each month and what portion of the bill you are responsible for. For example, Bronze plans will likely have the lowest monthly premium and highest out-of-pocket responsibility, while Platinum plans will likely have the highest monthly premiums and lowest out-of-pocket responsibility. All plans in the Marketplace offer the same set of essential health benefits, such as doctor visits, preventative and wellness services, emergency services, hospitalizations, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, and more.

If you are new to the Marketplace, you will need to complete an enrollment application either online, over the phone, or with a paper application to determine which health insurance plans you qualify for. Depending upon your income, you may qualify for premium tax credits that lower the cost of your coverage, or you may be eligible for free or low-cost coverage under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Once you select a plan, you must pay your first month’s premium in order to be enrolled. If you enroll by February 15th, you will be effective with coverage beginning March 1st.

If you already have a Marketplace plan, you were probably automatically enrolled in your current plan or a similar plan effective January 1, 2015. To verify, log into your account and look for a message telling you that you have been automatically enrolled. If you were not automatically enrolled in a health insurance plan, you can enroll in any plan available through the Marketplace. If you were automatically enrolled, you can still change plans and find out if you qualify for a different plan to help with costs. Regardless of whether or not you want to change your plan, it is important to update your income and household information for 2015 to ensure you are receiving the right premium tax credits. To update your information or to change plans, log into your Marketplace account. Select the “Report a Life Change” option to update any of your information in your pre-filled application. If you want to change plans, but don’t need to update your application, click on “My Plans & Programs.” Remember, enroll by February 15th in order to be effective with coverage beginning March 1st.

 

Blog Archive

« Back to Learning Center