Fall is the season for health insurance plan enrollment or re-enrollment. You may be like most people confused and uncomfortable when it comes to understanding or making decisions about health insurance coverage. Help is available.
The Health Insurance Marketplace is a service that helps people shop for and enroll in health insurance. It provides health plan shopping and enrollment services through healthcare.gov, call centers, and in-person assistance.
Navigators, such as myself, are trained, unbiased assisters that can help you compare health insurance plans, assist you with online application process, and help provide answers to your Marketplace questions. Navigators are available year-round to answer questions or complete Special Enrollment applications for those affected by a life changing event.
When you buy health insurance through the Marketplace, you may qualify for financial assistance to help pay your monthly premiums and cost sharing. You will qualify for financial assistance if you meet the following:
You cant get health insurance that covers your basic needs through your job (or a family members); Medicaid; Medicare; the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP); or the Department of Veterans affairs (VA)
The amount of money your family expects to make in the year you apply for assistance falls within certain income ranges.
Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15. You can preview 2019 plans and prices. Now is the time to explore your health coverage options. You can go to healthcare.gov. A benefit of working with a Navigator is help in determining if qualifications are met for financial assistance to lower the cost of premiums.
Each year, health insurance options change along with coverage and costs. I am here to assist you in the process and help you understand the system, rules, and options. To assist people in these programs, one is required to go through training and certification on a yearly basis to become a Navigator for the Marketplace or a Senior Health Insurance Counselor for Kansans (SHICK) to provide unbiased assistance. Some of the assistance on offer includes:
Helping you apply and enroll in a health plan with savings or apply for Medicaid/Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Required to provide fair, impartial, and accurate information
Statewide assistance may also be available
Find free, in-person enrollment assistance from a Navigator serving your community
They can assist you with the online application and help compare plans to find the best one for you. During open Enrollment, Kansans need to evaluate whether to enroll in coverage, stay on their current policies, if available, or enroll in different policies. It is also important for consumers to understand the network requirements of the various plans and to check that their providers of medical services are in the plans network.
