Got Insurance?

Open enrollment for 2015 begins November 15th. By Patty Hutchens.

It has been a year since the Affordable Health Care Act came into effect, and many Americans who have long gone without medical insurance are reaping the benefits. The Act, otherwise referred to as Obamacare, was intended to increase the affordability, quality, and availability of health insurance. If you missed out on the opportunity to enroll last year, open enrollment is upon us again as of November 15th.

An insurance professional can help guide you through the maze of health insurance and assist you in completing a Marketplace application. The Marketplace will help you determine if you and your family qualify for private health insurance with savings based upon your income, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPs).

The Marketplace will look to various factors when determining what plans for which you and your family qualify. Depending upon size of household and income, you may qualify for premium tax credits and savings on out-of-pocket medical costs.

With the Affordable Care Act came coverage for services that were either not previously covered or were only partially covered. This includes coverage of pre-existing conditions, preventative care, and essential health benefits.

Although insurance will now cover pre-existing conditions, people still need to pay for their deductibles, copayments and coinsurance if their plan requires it. Note there is one exception to coverage for pre-existing conditions and that applies to grandfathered individual health insurance plans. If you have purchased a plan on your own and not through your employer, it is not required that it cover pre-existing conditions. However, if you find that you have a plan that does not cover a certain condition, you may switch to a Marketplace plan that will cover your situation.

Under the Affordable Care Act preventative services are now fully covered under certain circumstances -such as age and risk factors - regardless of whether or not one has met their deductible. Some of these preventative services include blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, colorectal screening, breast cancer mammography screenings, well-woman visits, and breast-feeding support.

Regarding essential health benefits, some of the services covered include, but are not limited to pregnancy, maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, emergency services, and pediatric services.

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