Spring has
just begun. Sign-ups for the ACA Covered California will end March 31, 2014. Some
say that means we are past the confusion. This is not true. Open enrollment is
an option for change for Medicare Advantage plan members and prescription drug
card members. Let’s add some more groups of people to this time frame.
During open
enrollment the Covered California enrollees can change plans. The “off-exchange”
members can change their plans as well. Before this the under 65 year old
health insurance member typically changed their plan when the premium went up.
They could do this a number of ways but it did not need an open enrollment
window. Now with Guaranteed Issue the
rest of the population will have the same open enrollment options and decisions
as the Medicare Advantage and Prescription drug card members.
The
insurance industry also added another element of work for the health insurance
industry. Many small companies moved their company’s open enrollment to the end
of 2014. That means small companies that are changing their insurance plans
will have the same open enrollment and deadlines as the rest of the population
noted above.
What does
this mean for you? Study early, make your decision early and put your paperwork
in as soon as you can under the open enrollment rules of October 15 to December
7. If the change doesn’t matter very
much, stay put. Look at your Advantage or PDP paperwork and make sure of the
forms needed if you want to stay the same. You may not need to do anything. Be
sure of it.
Have a
happy summer.
Thanks to Rhonda for the great blog. I've known Rhonda for a while and she's great people. She's always my first stop for insurance questions and enrollment.
And for your your in-home services and Adult Day Program needs contact AltaGolden at 858-779-9254 or learn more about us at www.altagolden.com.
Take care and have a wonderful rest of the day. Laura
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