Health Care Open Enrollment – The Deadline is Approaching

It’s hard to believe that 2018 is almost over, and so is the period for open enrollment for healthcare. As a medical professional and CEO of Community HealthNet Healthcare Centers, it is my passion and mission to ensure that the communities we serve have access to affordable and quality healthcare services. Part of this means educating our clients and the masses about the availability of healthcare programs and the deadlines associated with them.

Open Enrollment for health care coverage in 2019 runs from November 1, 2018, to December 15, 2018. If you’re reading this, then it means you have just under a week left to enroll or update your current healthcare plan. So let’s get started! Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

1.       Make sure you are eligible to enroll. To be eligible to enroll in health coverage through the Marketplace, you must live in the United States, be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present) and can’t be incarcerated. If you have Medicare coverage, you’re not eligible to use the marketplace to buy a health or dental plan.

2.       Review your options and create an account. If you haven’t enrolled in a healthcare plan, take the time to review the options in the marketplace in order to select the plan that best suits you. Find this information at healthcare.gov.

3.       Check open enrollment deadlines at your job. Job-based healthcare plans may have different open enrollment periods and/or deadlines. Please be sure to check with your employer to confirm what your open enrollment dates are.

4.       There are some special cases for enrollment outside of the enrollment period. Outside the Open Enrollment Period, you generally can enroll in a health insurance plan only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. You’re eligible if you have certain life events, like getting married, having a baby, or loss of other health coverage.

5.       Some other plans have open enrollment year-round. Depending on income, you may qualify for an insurance plan with tax credits or for Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Keep in mind that you can apply and enroll in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) any time of year. Visit healthcare.gov. to determine eligibility.

Remember, you will need to create an online account in order to enroll, so seek help from a computer savvy family member, friend, a human resource rep at your place of employment or possibly a healthcare professional if you are uncertain on how to proceed. Community HealthNet also has Health Navigators available to assist with this process. Call (219) 886-8980 or visit www.chn-indiana.org to schedule an appointment.  

All plans cover essential health benefits, pre-existing conditions, and preventive services. Access to quality health care coverage is your right, so please get educated and get enrolled!

Follow Dr. Janet Seabrook on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-In for more information about health and wellness. Please be sure to visit www.drjanetseabrook.com and sign up to receive regular updates and health information.