Whether you already have health insurance that you obtained through the Marketplace or are someone that currently needs health insurance it is important to know that the deadline is approaching for applying for health insurance through the Health Insurance Market Place.
What is the Marketplace?
Created through the Affordable care Act in 2010, it is short for the “Health Insurance Marketplace,” which is a service that helps individuals shop for and enroll in medical insurance.
The Marketplace is run by the federal government in most states and is sometimes also known as the “exchange” and can be accessed at www.healthcare.gov but there are some states that also run their own Marketplaces, in which case they have their own websites.
Important upcoming dates:
• January 15th, 2017: Last day to enroll in or change a plan if you want coverage to start on Feb 1st, 2017
• January 31, 2017: Is the last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan with coverage or changes taking effect after March 31st , 2017. After this date, you can only enroll in or change plans if you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Please keep in mind that:
• It is recommended by the Health Insurance Market Place that individuals update their information every year.
• If you didn’t find something that fit your needs last year, there might have been changes. You might find something that better suits you this year.
• Additionally, it’s possible that if you do not renew your information you might be automatically re-enrolled which can lead to incorrect information and possibly remaining in a plan you don’t want and maybe paying higher or lower premiums than you were supposed to.
For more information please visit www.healthcare.gov or call (800) 318-2596, on the website you can enter your zip code and be led to the website for your state. If you need help choosing a plan or filling out paperwork, you can find an In-Person Assistor (IPA) or Navigator at a site in your community to help you through the process through the website or call the number above.
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