Prepare for Health Insurance Decision-Making
Nora Rhoades- Family and Youth Development Agent
The fall season is a popular time to make health insurance decisions. Many employers, the Health Insurance Marketplace, and some public programs, such as Medicare, utilize the fall as the one time each year you can change or renew insurance coverage.
Generally, you can only buy health insurance coverage during annual open enrollment periods. It is difficult to change coverage if you don’t experience a qualifying life event, so it’s best to take advantage of the open enrollment period. If you experience a qualifying life event, such as losing job coverage, getting married, or having a child, you can change your health insurance outside of the open enrollment period in a special enrollment period.
Delays in enrollment, coverage, and penalties may apply if the consumer doesn’t enroll at the appropriate time. While there are a few exceptions, the Affordable Care Act requires that you are insured for at least nine months out of every year, or you will have to pay a penalty at tax time for being uninsured.
Medicare open enrollment is October 15, 2016 through December 7. Medicare Open Enrollment is an annual opportunity for individuals with Medicare eligibility to make changes to Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. You can get free, un-biased health insurance counseling from a SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas) Counselor. To identify a SHICK Counselor in your area, contact the Post Rock Extension District or the Kansas Agency on Aging office in your area.
Open enrollment through the Kansas Health Insurance Marketplace for 2017 coverage will begin November 1, 2016. December 15 is the last day to enroll or change an insurance plan through the Marketplace for coverage to start January 1, 2017. January 31 is the last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Cover Kansas Navigators are trained, un-biased volunteers who can assist you with making decisions in the Marketplace. To identify a Navigator in your area, call the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 or contact the Post Rock Extension District.
Contact your local Post Rock Extension District Office to access resources that can provide non-biased assistance as you work through the health insurance decision-making process.
The fall season is a popular time to make health insurance decisions. Many employers, the Health Insurance Marketplace, and some public programs, such as Medicare, utilize the fall as the one time each year you can change or renew insurance coverage.
Delays in enrollment, coverage, and penalties may apply if the consumer doesn’t enroll at the appropriate time. While there are a few exceptions, the Affordable Care Act requires that you are insured for at least nine months out of every year, or you will have to pay a penalty at tax time for being uninsured.
Medicare open enrollment is October 15, 2016 through December 7. Medicare Open Enrollment is an annual opportunity for individuals with Medicare eligibility to make changes to Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. You can get free, un-biased health insurance counseling from a SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas) Counselor. To identify a SHICK Counselor in your area, contact the Post Rock Extension District or the Kansas Agency on Aging office in your area.
Open enrollment through the Kansas Health Insurance Marketplace for 2017 coverage will begin November 1, 2016. December 15 is the last day to enroll or change an insurance plan through the Marketplace for coverage to start January 1, 2017. January 31 is the last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Cover Kansas Navigators are trained, un-biased volunteers who can assist you with making decisions in the Marketplace. To identify a Navigator in your area, call the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 or contact the Post Rock Extension District.
Contact your local Post Rock Extension District Office to access resources that can provide non-biased assistance as you work through the health insurance decision-making process.
