During last year’s open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, over 8 million uninsured patients signed up for comprehensive health coverage. Many signed up for subsidized insurance through the health insurance marketplaces, but many more qualified for newly-expanded Medicaid. No one who applied was denied coverage or care for a pre-existing conditions, and every insurance plan was required to cover a comprehensive set of benefits, including doctors visits, hospitals, prescription drugs, and preventative care.
During this year’s Open Enrollment period, your patients can apply for the first time, renew their current plan, or go shopping for a better option.
Here are the dates you need to keep in mind!
November 15, 2014: Open Enrollment begins. Apply for, keep, or change your coverage.
December 15, 2014: Enroll by the 15th if you want new coverage that begins on January 1, 2015. If your plan is changing or you want to change plans, enroll by the 15th to avoid a lapse in coverage.
February 15, 2015: This is the last day you can apply for 2015 coverage before the end of Open Enrollment.
For more information, or to apply or change coverage, tell your patients to go to the following websites:
California: www.coveredca.com
Florida: www.healthcare.gov
Massachusetts: www.mahealthconnector.org
New Jersey: www.healthcare.gov
New Mexico: www.bewellnm.com
New York: www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov
Washington DC: www.dchealthlink.com
For more information on what’s next for the Affordable Care Act, go to www.cirseiu.org/healthreform