Open enrollment for the 2016 Individual Health Insurance Marketplace began November 1st and it is recommended all insureds who currently have individual health plans or are looking to purchase a new individual health plan that may have not had coverage previous shop during this period of time.
Facts about Open Enrollment:
Open Enrollment begins November 1, 2015 and ends on January 31, 2015.
In order to have a January 1st effective date, you must complete an application by December 15th.
Enrollment can be done online, through the phone or through a local independent agent, like Barr’s Insurance.
If you already have an account on healthcare.gov, you can log onto the same account to review your renewal application and view new plans and rates available. Help is available through your local agent or through the Marketplace Hotline.
If you meet certain household income requirements, you may be eligible for a tax credit to help pay for premiums and some cost sharing of co-payments and deductibles. Penalties for 2016 are $695 per person or 2.5 percent of household income, which ever is greater.
Failure to enroll in a health plan for 2016, either through the individual marketplace, employer sponsored coverage, Medicare, CHIP or Medicaid will result in a penalty.
Insurance Companies can not deny health coverage due to pre-existing conditions and only charge up to 1.5X the premium for tobacco users (includes tobacco use with electronic cigarettes).
Please contact our agency for more information or if you would like to compare and buy an individual health plan on and off the marketplace.
Sheena Fink
Employee Benefits Account Manager
