December 23 Health Insurance Deadline Draws Near

December 23, 2013 is Almost Here

It may feel like a race against the clock, but there is still time to enroll in health insurance by the December 23 deadline.  Enrolling by that date will ensure you’re covered by January 1, 2014.

What Should You do if You Have Not Gotten Health Insurance Yet?

First of all, don’t panic!  You still have a bit of time!

  (Note: Maryland residents now have until Dec 27 to get coverage.)

Buying a Policy Off-Exchange

If you have already discussed a plan with us and you want to secure an off-exchange plan, you can process an online application directly with the carrier we have chosen together.  For your convenience, here are direct links to several insurance carriers that we work with:

• Anthem BCBS
• Carefirst BCBS
• Humana
• Kaiser
• Please note –  Aetna / Innovation Health is not available online
  

Buying a Policy On the Exchange

We, like brokers and insurance carriers all over the country, are bracing for an anticipated surge in activity on the online health insurance exchanges.   We continue to work with clients on getting coverage through the exchanges, so please bear with us with the expected high volume.

If you have already discussed an exchange plan with us and you are ready to complete the online application process,  click here for information on how to access your state’s exchange.

Payment Deadline Extended

The good news is that most carriers have extended the payment deadline to January 10, 2014.  This extension gives a bit of breathing room — both for the insurance carriers who have to process the billing and payments, and to policyholders who need to make the payment.

Virginia Medical Plans is Here to Help

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.  As we have been reporting the last several weeks, we are dealing with an extraordinarily high volume of calls and emails, but please be assured we will return every call or email!

HHS Announces Changes to Help Americans have Coverage by January 1

New guidance from HHS is designed to prevent gaps in health insurance coverage.

In acknowledgement of the difficulties Americans have faced enrolling in health insurance coverage over the past few months, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has asked insurance companies to make some changes to the way they enroll people in January 1 coverage.

Of the changes, only one is mandatory:

• Health Insurance companies must provide coverage effective January 1, 2014 for any person from whom they receive a premium payment by December 31, 2013.

Insurance companies are encouraged to consider:

• Allowing refills throughout the month of January for prescriptions that were covered under a person’s previous plan.
• Allowing patients to continue to see their current doctor, even if that doctor is not part of the network under their new plan.  Furthermore, insurers should treat that doctor as in-network.
• Extending the enrollment deadline past December 23 under “extenuating circumstances”.  Furthermore, consider offering expedited service to anyone for whom technical problems with healthcare.gov prevented them from enrolling by Dec 23.
• Accepting partial payment as being sufficient to start coverage on January 1, 2014.
• Activating coverage retroactively to the first of the year for those who sign up after December 23.

Update 12/17/13:  Click here for a few clarifications to the above.

Since most of these are only recommendations, it is up to the insurance carriers to decide which, if any, they will implement.  We will continue to follow this closely and provide updates as they are available.

In the meantime, if you think you enrolled in health insurance, but have not received proof of coverage, contact your insurance carrier!

Please be patient as we manage a high volume of calls and emails.

Another View From the Health Insurance Trenches

It has been about a month since we wrote about our experience “in the trenches” as we help our clients manage the transition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Many of you are wondering how things are going.

Record High Volume at Virginia Medical Plans

We, like most brokers across the country, continue to experience a record high volume of calls and emails.   As you can imagine, we are doing our best to respond to each and every inquiry.  We sincerely thank you for your patience; please be assured we are meticulously tracking every call and email and we WILL get back to you.

Applications Filed Through Federal Health Insurance Exchange

We definitely have been feeling the impact of healthcare.gov’s troubles, and therefore have shifted away from the site in favor of assisting our subsidy-eligible clients file paper or phone applications.   While some applicants heard back from the marketplace within minutes, many have still yet to receive any information back on status of their applications.  A few who have heard back from the marketplace have been disappointed with the news.

In response to the difficulties with enrolling in the federal marketplace, Janet Trautwein, CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), sent a letter to President Obama last week, asking for his administration’s support in making it easier for brokers to assist their clients.  (Click here to read the letter, and note that we added the highlights for emphasis).  We are grateful for NAHU’s support and hopeful that their input will help make a difference in our ability to get people enrolled.

If you started an application online at healthcare.gov in October or November, but were unable to complete it due to system errors, one thing we have heard is a suggestion to delete any “old” applications and start a new one.  While we cannot tell you for sure if this will work, it may be worth a try.  If you do have success that way, please let us know!

When using healthcare.gov, please remember to provide our broker information on your application.  As noted in Ms. Trautwein’s letter, including our information will ensure you receive not only our assistance to complete the buying process, but also our customer service throughout the plan year.  Here is our info:

• Name – Jonathan Katz
• FFM User ID: JONKATZAGENT
• National Producer Number (NPN) – 1585616

834 Errors in the Exchange

In the days since December 1, healthcare.gov seems to be functioning better than it had been — at least from a user input standpoint.  The concern now has shifted to back-end problems with the “834’s” — the forms containing applicants’ information that must be transmitted to the insurance carriers to actually process the policies.  Reports of garbled data, duplicate files, and missing information are troublesome, to say the least.

If you submitted an application through the exchange — whether on paper, by phone, or online at healthcare.gov — you must contact your carrier to confirm your coverage.   We cannot stress this enough.  And rest assured, if you have not yet made a payment, you do not have coverage!

Individual and Small Group Off-Exchange Plans

Individuals and small business owners buying off-exchange plans are having an easier time enrolling in 2014 health insurance.

After working 20+ years in the individual and small group health insurance industry we know that when you get new health insurance, you can expect to receive your policy documents (including insurance cards and proof of coverage) about three weeks prior to the start date of coverage.  So, if you purchased an off-exchange plan with an effective date of January 1, 2014 and have not yet received any paperwork from your carrier, be on the lookout over the next several days.

If you have not received documents by the middle of December, it is time to contact your carrier!

Note, CareFirst seems to be in good shape and has already begun sending documentation out to its policyholders.

There is Still Time to Purchase Health Insurance by January 1

You have until December 23 to enroll in coverage with a January 1, 2014 start date.  But don’t delay.  Give us a call if you still need health insurance for you, your family, or your small business.

Please be patient as we manage a high volume of calls and emails.

Enrollment Extensions Under Affordable Care Act

Enrollment extensions for two key dates under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were announced last week.

1 – Enrollment Deadline for January 1, 2014 Health Insurance Plans

You now have eight extra days — until December 23, 2013 (originally December 15) — to enroll** and pay for* coverage with an effective date of January 1, 2014.

*Update:  12/13/13:  According to an HHS ruling, you now have until December 31, 2013 to pay for coverage effective Jan 1.

Update 12/18/13:  Most carriers will now give you until January 10, 2014 to pay for coverage effective January 1, 2014.

**Update 12/18/13:  Maryland residents now have until December 27, 2013 to enroll in coverage.

2 – Open Enrollment Dates for 2015 Health Insurance Plans

Open Enrollment for 2015 plans will run from November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015 (originally set at October 15, 2014 through December 7, 2014).

Stay tuned as we stay on top of any changes that may impact you and, as always, let us know if we can be of assistance!

Please be patient as we manage a high volume of calls and emails.