NAVIGATING YOUR WAY THROUGH OBAMACARE AND THE HEALTH INSRANCE EXCHANGES
The next phase of The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will begin taking place on October 1, 2013. This is the date that you can begin completing an application for the Health Insurance Exchanges. The open enrollment period ends on March 31, 2014. The Health Insurance Exchange is like a marketplace where insurance companies lay out their available options pertaining to services and costs to you and your family. It has been explained that you will look through the many insurance companies and decide which plan offers you the services that will meet your needs and what that plan will ultimately cost you.
The first thing you have to determine is if the Health Insurance Exchange is being run by your State government or the Federal government. This is because some states have opted out of participating in the Health Insurance Exchange. For those states that choose to opt out, you will have to apply through the federal government (HealthCare.gov). The illustration above will indicate whether the Health Insurance Exchange in your state is being run by your State government or the Federal government.
COVERAGE FOR THE POOR AND UNINSURED
There are going to be people who cannot afford to pay a premium for their health insurance plans. For those people they may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid is run by your State government. The federal government gave states the option of expanding Medicaid making it possible for states to insure more poor and uninsured people under their state’s Medicaid program with substantial monetary assistance from the federal government to help states afford the increased numbers of Medicaid recipients. There were some states that chose not to expand their Medicaid program; therefore, leaving many poor and uninsured people without health insurance coverage. How the States stand on Medicaid:
NOT PARTICIPATING (14 states)
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
Beginning in 2014, insurance companies will not be able to turn you down or charge you more for a pre-existing condition. The only exception would be grandfathered individual insurance plans. Those companies can still refuse you coverage or charge you more for a pre-existing condition.
WHAT TO DO NOW
There will be a lot of decisions to make in the coming months, but I hope this article helped to make you more informed and in a better position to make the appropriate decisions that will benefit you and your family.
Sources:
https://www.healthcare.gov/
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-health-insurance-exchange.php
The first thing you have to determine is if the Health Insurance Exchange is being run by your State government or the Federal government. This is because some states have opted out of participating in the Health Insurance Exchange. For those states that choose to opt out, you will have to apply through the federal government (HealthCare.gov). The illustration above will indicate whether the Health Insurance Exchange in your state is being run by your State government or the Federal government.
COVERAGE FOR THE POOR AND UNINSURED
There are going to be people who cannot afford to pay a premium for their health insurance plans. For those people they may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid is run by your State government. The federal government gave states the option of expanding Medicaid making it possible for states to insure more poor and uninsured people under their state’s Medicaid program with substantial monetary assistance from the federal government to help states afford the increased numbers of Medicaid recipients. There were some states that chose not to expand their Medicaid program; therefore, leaving many poor and uninsured people without health insurance coverage. How the States stand on Medicaid:
NOT PARTICIPATING (14 states)
- Alabama*: Gov. Robert Bentley (R)
- Florida*: Gov. Rick Scott (R)
- Georgia*: Gov. Nathan Deal (R)
- Idaho*: Gov. C.L. Otter (R)
- Iowa*: Gov. Terry Branstad (R)
- Louisiana*: Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)
- Maine*: Gov. Paul LePage (R)
- Mississippi*: Gov. Phil Bryant (R)
- North Carolina: Gov. Pat McCrory (R)
- Oklahoma: Gov. Mary Fallin (R)
- Pennsylvania*: Gov. Tom Corbett (R)
- South Carolina*: Gov. Nikki Haley (R)
- South Dakota: Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R)
- Texas*: Gov. Rick Perry (R)
- Wisconsin*: Gov. Scott Walker (R)
- Alaska*: Gov. Sean Parnell (R)
- Nebraska*: Gov. Dave Heineman (R)
- Wyoming*: Gov. Matt Mead (R)
- Kentucky: Gov. Steve Beshear (D
- New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)
- Arizona*: Gov. Jan Brewer (R)
- Arkansas: Gov. Mike Beebe (D)
- California: Gov. Jerry Brown (D)
- Colorado*: Gov. John Hickenlooper (D)
- Connecticut: Gov. Dannel Malloy (D)
- Delaware: Gov. Jack Markell (D)
- District of Columbia: D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D)
- Hawaii: Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D)
- Illinois: Gov. Pat Quinn (D)
- Maryland: Gov. Martin O'Malley (D
- Massachusetts: Gov. Deval Patrick (D)
- Michigan*: Gov. Rick Snyder (R)
- Minnesota: Gov. Mark Dayton (D)
- Missouri: Gov. Jay Nixon (D)
- Montana: Gov.-elect Steve Bullock (D)
- Nevada*: Gov. Brian Sandoval (R)
- New Jersey: Gov. Chris Christie (R)
- New Hampshire: Gov. Maggie Hassan (D)
- New Mexico: Gov. Susana Martinez (R)
- North Dakota*: Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R)
- Ohio*: Gov. John Kasich (R)
- Oregon: Gov. John Kitzhaber (D)
- Rhode Island: Gov. Lincoln Chaffee (I)
- Vermont: Gov. Peter Shumlin (D)
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
Beginning in 2014, insurance companies will not be able to turn you down or charge you more for a pre-existing condition. The only exception would be grandfathered individual insurance plans. Those companies can still refuse you coverage or charge you more for a pre-existing condition.
WHAT TO DO NOW
- Have your W-2’s or tax return readily available so when you begin the application process, you have accurate information
- Become more knowledgeable about health insurance, such as what deductibles, co-pays, etc. mean and how it they affect your insurance plan costs
- Do a household budget to determine how much you think you can afford for your family’s coverage.
- Get help and ask questions. For help with your questions 24/7, you can call HealthCare.gov at (800) 318-2596
There will be a lot of decisions to make in the coming months, but I hope this article helped to make you more informed and in a better position to make the appropriate decisions that will benefit you and your family.
Sources:
https://www.healthcare.gov/
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-health-insurance-exchange.php
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