Open Enrollment ends December 15th

Photo by Natasha Spencer on Unsplash

Do you need insurance for 2020?

December 15, 2019 is the last day to enroll in or change plans for 2020 coverage purchased through Healthcare.gov. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, liking losing coverage, getting married, or having a baby. You can preview plans and their costs without creating an account.

On average, health insurance premiums for silver plans (eligible for subsidy) on the exchange are down 4% from last year. Many people don’t realize that with incomes of up to 400% of the federal poverty level they can qualify for a subsidy.

A word of caution, however: restrictions on “Stop-Gap” insurance plans have been loosened, so plans that are not compliant with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act are proliferating online. These plans can deny you for pre-existing conditions, can exclude prescription drug coverage, or have a cap on the benefits you can use. If you want to be sure you are picking ACA compliant insurance, shopping through the exchange at Healthcare.gov or Oregonhealthcare.gov is the best way.

You can search each plan to be sure your Sunstone Psychiatric provider is paneled with the plan. You can also search by prescription medication to find out what your out of pocket costs will be for a medication you take, and if it is on formulary. Spending this time now can help avoid surprises down the road and minimize your out of pocket costs.