MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With the Affordable Care Act continuing to provide Americans health insurance through 2018, the deadline to enroll via the Healthcare Marketplace is quickly approaching.
Dec. 15 is the last day to sign up via the marketplace, a shorter enrollment period than what has occurred in the past.
“In past years, the enrollment period has been 90 days,” said Kelly Allen, lead navigator with Morgantown-based West Virginia Healthy Start. “This year, the (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and the Trump Administration cut it in half, so people have to enroll by Dec. 15. That’s the one and only deadline this year.”
A shorter enrollment period isn’t the only difference between this year and last, Allen said.
“Comparing enrollment at this point now and this point last year, nationally the numbers are up,” she said. “In West Virginia, we’re about even with our enrollment from last year, compared to a lot of states that are up 20, 30, 40 percent, so we do think that people here are really confused by the political rhetoric and just a lot of factors that lead to a lot of confusion.”
Though Congress has attempted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Allen reminds that it is still the law, and subsidies and financial help still exist.
In fact, 85 percent of families in West Virginia qualify for financial help that will make their plans more affordable.
“The government stopped reimbursing insurers for the cost-sharing reductions, but they are still required to offer them to those who qualify,” Allen said. “For the point of the consumer, they will still receive them.”
While premiums are going up roughly 20 percent, Allen said that assistance does not change.
“They are completed shielded from the premiums increases,” she said. “As a premium goes up, if your income hasn’t changed then what the government has deemed affordable for you to pay for insurance hasn’t changed, so that subsidy should lift up to match any premium increases and completely shield you.”
West Virginia Healthy Start, which covers 29 counties, assists residents in enrolling, whether by troubleshooting via telephone or in-person communication.
“In every county in the state, there are navigators represented that can talk you through the process and help you find out if you would benefit from using the Affordable Care Act,” Allen said. “If people aren’t sure if they should go into the marketplace or to Medicaid expansion, that’s something we can easily help them with.”
Even something as basic as estimating income can be difficult for someone, particularly those who own their own businesses.
“At that point, we can help people determine the plan that would be best for them based on their family’s health issues, networks, what providers they want to be able to see,” she said. “We try to really help people through the whole application process.”
Offices are located in Elkins, Morgantown, Martinsburg and Wheeling, “but all of those folks travel, and we cover the whole northern half of the state,” Allen said.
Meeting the Dec. 15 deadline is crucial, as those who miss it will likely not get health insurance for 2018.
“Unless you have a qualifying life event, which would typically be loss of other coverage,” Allen said. “If you’re already insured on the marketplace and you don’t do anything by Dec. 15, you’re going to be locked into a plan that might be good for you, but it might not be the best for you, so we really want people to take a look.”
To learn more, contact Allen at (304) 598-5150 or visit www. localhealth.healthcare.gov