Time To Get That Health Insurance You’ve Been Talking About
Since last year, Thanksgiving has a new meaning for people who need health insurance. The time for buying individual and family plans (as opposed to plans through your work) is approaching. If you need to be sure your 2014 insurance is still the best option, or if you are looking for insurance the very first time, the application deadline is very close. Your quickest path to insurance? Call one of our certified brokers to get individualized hands on help at no charge.
DEADLINE: December 15 is the deadline to apply for individual health insurance that begins January 1. Since there are no medical qualifying hoops to jump through any more, you need only apply to get health insurance for yourself and your family. Applications must in no later than Dec. 15 if you want your insurance to begin on January 1.
HOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT ON THE COLORADO EXCHANGE: If you want to buy insurance for 2015, it is helpful to have an account on the Connect for Health Colorado (Connect) Marketplace (the state’s health benefit exchange. Click on this link for a guide to doing this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q3iy9dw8b5df9dl/CreateAccount112814.pdf?dl=0
HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Financial assistance with health insurance premiums depends on income level and family size. You may qualify for financial assistance for 2015 if your family income is less than these amounts:
Individual: $46,680
Two People: $62,920
Four People: $95,400
For self-employed people, income is after your business expenses. To create an account on Connect for Health Colorado and see how much assistance you qualify for, click on this link for our easy-to-follow, free guide to doing this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3bi0fajhm03gnoe/NewCustomerWithFinancial%20Assistance%20app113014.pdf?dl=0
If you want to purchase a plan, but do not qualify or want to apply for financial assistance, use this link for instructions on how to shop for a plan on the Colorado Marketplace: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1t6k83zqlwbheod/NewCustomerNoFA113014.pdf?dl=0
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS: If you have technical or computer problems creating an account or completing the financial assistance application, you can call Connect’s Customer Service line at 855-752-6749 for help solving the problem. For questions or issues related to your insurance, rely on your broker.
FINDING THE BEST PLAN: There is no single best health insurance plan. The best plan for each person balances the monthly cost of the insurance, with the health of the person, their preferences for certain doctors, and likely out of pocket costs. My role as a broker is to help compare all available plans to find the one that best meets your needs and requirements. You do not pay anything extra to use a broker.
At Colorado Health Brokers, we all live in Colorado and enjoy helping people find the best possible health insurance plan for their particular situation. I am a broker, also trained and certified to help find financial assistance to help with insurance premiums. There is no charge to you for the help I provide.
- Published in Individual Health Insurance, Misc
Training for the Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace
On Saturday, September 6, 2013 I spent all day in a training seminar in order to be able to interface successfully with the new Colorado computer software program for the Affordable Care Act. Prior to this I had completed a 10 hour on-line course in preparation for the in-class portion of the training. Our access to the Marketplace, formally known as the Exchange, is scheduled to begin on October 1, 2013. The Marketplace is where individuals, with or without the aid of a broker or guide, can go to find out if they are eligible for federal subsidies for their health insurance premiums, as well as apply for the new ACA qualified plans.
All the on-line courses, as well as the class material was designed for the broker in training to have access to an on-line practice Marketplace in order to fully familiarize ourselves with the program before the kickoff in three weeks. However, the practice programs were not working and are not scheduled to be working before the start of the real thing. I have to give the instructor high marks in attitude and for attempting to familiarize us with how each of the program pages will supposedly work. But, without real practice, we mostly learned the theory of how it is supposed to perform, but no skill in navigating the system.
So, my guess is now I will spend the first week of October stumbling through the Marketplace in an attempt to figure out how it all works.
Do yourself a favor, if you want to work with me to find a new plan under the Affordable Care Act, don’t call me until late October.
- Published in Federal Law Changes and Mandates, Individual Health Insurance