Are you in need of health care? Now is the time to sign up for health care coverage through the U.S. Health Insurance Marketplace.
Open enrollment is already underway and experts are touting 2016 plans as desirable for Hoosiers. A press conference was held at the Shalom Health Care Center announcing key highlights of this year’s enrollment period.
One of the most notable highlights announced for 2016: more choice. In Indiana, consumers can choose from eight issuers and an average of 61 plans. Previous research shows that price competition typically intensifies with three or more competitors in a market. In Indiana, there are 12 more plans on average than in 2015 for consumers to choose from.
“I love that Hoosiers are taking advantage of this. It sends a message to the world that people are concerned about health care for themselves and their children,” U.S. Rep. André Carson told the Recorder following the press conference.
Mary Clark, executive director of the International Marketplace Coalition, was excited to have open enrollment announced in her organization’s area, near Lafayette Square Mall, a location that has ample residents in need of quality health insurance.
“This area is so rich with diversity, it’s important to know this health care is for everybody, even me,” said Clark.
Another key point experts shared was more affordable rates. A new report detailing affordability and plan choice in the Health Insurance Marketplace finds that with applicable tax credits, 64 percent of Indiana enrollees could find plans for $75 per month or less in premiums after tax credits; and 70 percent could find plans for $100 or less per month in premiums after tax credits.
For example, in 2016, a 27-year-old in Indiana with an income of $25,000 a year will on average get a tax credit of $92 a month — compared to $125 in 2015. A typical family of four with an income of $60,000 will on average receive a tax credit of $447 a month — compared to $562 in 2015.
Across all markets in the 37 HealthCare.gov states, the cost of the benchmark plan will increase an average of 7.2 percent, but not in Indiana.
“In Indiana the cost of the benchmark silver level plan will decrease by 12 percent,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 5 Director Kathleen Falk. “This is one of our biggest challenges — people not knowing this is a new day and that health insurance is now affordable when historically it wasn’t.”
Now is also the time for current marketplace consumers to shop and compare their current plan with others available and choose a new plan if necessary.
Plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace change every year and, because of that, new, better and more affordable plans might be available in consumers’ area. According to the HHS, last year, returning consumers who shopped and switched plans saved nearly $400 annually.
The Indiana Department of Insurance warns customers to be sure their physician and prescription drugs are covered by the new plan they are considering.
Current enrollees in a marketplace plan should also update their marketplace application. In particular, verify that the household income and household members listed on your application are correct in order to receive the correct amount of premium tax credit and avoid future tax penalties.
“(Health insurance) is important to me. Having dealt with a mom who suffered from schizophrenia, a grandmother who died from lung cancer and seeing so many friends struggle through life because they didn’t have the coverage they needed or the preventive measures they needed, this is critically important,” said Carson. “I think the rhetoric we saw in 2010 against the Affordable Care Act, those same critics are appreciative they can have affordable insurance.”
Those who want their health insurance to begin on Jan. 1, 2016, must sign up by the Dec. 15 deadline. Experts say this is possible due to the ease of enrollment.
“You can even apply on your smartphone. During the last open enrollment period, it took most people about 10 minutes to submit an application,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said.
Ahead of open enrollment, new features were also added to HealthCare.gov based on consumer feedback about previous experiences with the site and the type of additional information they wanted in order to pick the right plan.
Agents and navigators are available and waiting to help Hoosiers with each step of the enrollment process.
“Navigators go through federal trainings and state trainings. We also have our navigators go through community health worker training. Our call center stays quite busy, so we make sure they’re well prepared. People were even calling in September about open enrollment,” said Julia Holloway, project director at Aspin Health Navigators.
Hope Wynn said folks can come into the Indianapolis Enrollment Assistance Center office, 4202 W. 56th St., and sign up for health care for free.
“All you need is standard information and paperwork like pay stubs, Social Security numbers and date of birth info for persons you want enrolled,” said Wynn, outreach coordinator at the Indianapolis Enrollment Assistance Center.
Open Enrollment for 2016 health coverage runs through Jan. 31, 2016.
For more information or to sign up, call (800) 318-2596 or visit HealthCare.gov. To sign up in person, visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov to find insurance navigators in your neighborhood. Call Aspin at (877) 313-7215 or the Indianapolis Enrollment Assistance Center at (317) 315-4518.
