Open enrollment is here, and it’s time to make important decisions about your health insurance.
Every year, millions of Americans explore the opportunity to enroll in ACA-compliant health insurance during the open enrollment period. Affordable Care Act plans are available in all 50 states. Offered by private insurers, they must follow specific rules to provide minimum coverage to enrollees.
Affordable Care Act plans have been helpful to Americans from coast to coast because they provide an alternative option to traditional employer-based health insurance. Although the majority of Americans still have health insurance through an employer, ACA enrolls about 35 million Americans as of 2022.
Affordable Care Act plans aren’t right for everyone, but it’s a wise idea to take a close look at them as one of your potential health insurance options in Central Florida. The open enrollment period running from November 1, 2022, until January 15, 2023, is the time to do it.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common questions about open enrollment:
1. What Is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is a period of time every year when you can adjust your ACA health insurance or select an ACA insurance policy for the coming year. It traditionally runs for about two full months. This year, it will be open from November 1, 2022, until January 15, 2023.
During open enrollment, you can visit healthcare.gov or the official marketplace website within your own state, if it has one. Florida residents use healthcare.gov, as the state doesn’t have a separate site. While on the website, you’ll be presented with ACA-compliant plans in your area.
2. Can I Change My Health Insurance Outside Open Enrollment?
If you wish to use an ACA-compliant health insurance policy for 2023, then you should plan to get it during open enrollment. Outside of open enrollment, you can only update your ACA plan if you meet certain criteria for a “Qualifying Life Event.” Some examples of these events are:
- Losing existing health insurance from any source
- Losing eligibility for Medicaid, Medicare, or CHIP
- Getting married, getting divorced, or having a child
- Moving to a different ZIP code or a different county
For the most part, these are events you can’t anticipate in advance. You might know that a big change is coming, but the timing can still be fluid. With that in mind, it’s best to examine your ACA options at the appropriate time, decide whether one is right for you, and take action as early as possible.
3. Is Open Enrollment Difficult?
Open enrollment is intended to be as simple as possible, but it can still be confusing. The descriptions of the different health insurance policies are provided by insurance agencies. They might use specialized terminology that makes it difficult to understand exactly what you’re getting in your policy.
That said, there are some things about ACA open enrollment that are user-friendly. Under the “metal tier” system, all the plans of a certain type are required to have certain features. For instance, all the “Bronze” plans will offer specific coverage, and so will all the “Silver” plans and “Gold” plans.
As a general rule, the higher your monthly premium (monthly fee), the lower your deductible (the amount you need to pay before your full benefits kick in.) A lower monthly premium can help you save money, but you could be expected to pay far more out of pocket if you have a serious medical issue.
4. Does It Need to Be Open Enrollment Time for Me to Use CHIB?
It pays to have a local health insurance broker you can trust. You can use the services of Choice Health Insurance Brokers any time of year. It doesn’t matter whether it’s open enrollment, and you don’t have to be enrolled in an ACA plan or any other kind of health insurance.
Many Central Floridians find that although an ACA-based plan meets some of their needs, they still need a little bit extra, such as vision and dental insurance. You can use insurance options you find through us to augment your existing plan without having to cancel that plan or change that provider.
Likewise, Choice Health Insurance Brokers has helped thousands of Floridians expand their coverage when their employee-sponsored health insurance doesn’t quite do enough. You might find short-term health insurance for when you’re between jobs, or choose a plan to stick with for the long haul.
At CHIB, we give you honest, straightforward advice based on your specific situation. Contact us to find out more or get started. We look forward to helping you soon.