The Open Enrollment period for Healthcare usually begins on November 1 every year. Excluding the special exceptions, this is the only season of the year in which you should take care of applying, changing, updating, or renewing your health insurance plan for the following year. Whereas there’s no limited enrollment period for Medicaid or for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you can apply any time during the year.
Remember that you must register if you don’t have health insurance from another source, like through your employer or your spouse’s employer.
How to be ready for the Healthcare Open Enrollment Period?
- Mark the enrollment dates in your calendar.
- Research the health insurance plans available. Knowing this will put you a step ahead of the crowd. All health plans, no matter the level, must provide some coverage for at least 10 essential benefits. They are:
- Outpatient care including chronic disease management
- Emergency care
- Hospitalization
- Pregnancy and newborn care
- Mental health and substance abuse services
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitation services and devices
- Lab tests
- Preventive and wellness services
- Dental and vision care for children
The level of coverage for these services can vary. All the plans in the marketplace must provide consumers with a brief, understandable description of what they cover and how their plan works.
- Gather important information for your application:
- Information about any dependents that will be covered
- Home and/or mailing address
- Social Security numbers
- Tax filing information
- Immigration documents (if applicable)
- Current health insurance information (if applicable)
- Income and employer for all household members
The enrollment process could be made simple with the right guidance, our agents are more than ready to help you apply and register this year.
Time-saving tip: Get ahead of the crowd and sign up to be the first on the registration list. We’ll also help you gather the information required to be ready for the Open Enrollment period.
Where can I get help with the Enrollment process?
You can always visit the official site at www.healthcare.gov but the process could be very confusing and a mistake could cost you to pay higher rates o a lack of coverage. To avoid these errors and reduce the risk of being poorly covered, we suggest contacting a specialist health insurance agent. An expert agent will guide you and help you understand everything about your options and how to get the most benefits from the program.
Don’t have a health insurance agent? Call us (855-267-0900) or schedule a free appointment with one of our healthcare agents today.
