ACA has a rolling enrollment, right? I can sign up anytime?

[Lex]

This first deadline is just for people who are trying to get in before the penalty happens?

I already have health insurance but may dump it in a month or two and sign up for an ACA plan because it'll be much better and less expensive.

[Sheepshank]

1. I imagine that quitting, changing and people reaching age 26

will nessitate on going enrollments foir evah!!!!!!

[PoliticAverse]

2. Not exactly. The March 31 deadline is for 'open enrollment'. You can only enroll other times

if you have a 'qualifying life event'....

https://www.healthcare.gov/how-can-i-get-coverage-outside-of-open-enrollment/

Note that the March 31 date has been extended in a fashion, see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014765203

[polichick]

18. Hopefully turning 26 qualifies - lots of people are on parents' plan until then.

[PoliticAverse]

21. It does.

What if I turn 26 and can no longer be on a parent’s plan?

You qualify for a special enrollment period because you’re losing other health insurance coverage.

[polichick]

22. Thanks - that's good!

[JayhawkSD]

3. No, I believe there is a window

and that changing policies requires a "life event" such as marriage or loos of job.

Not entirely certain of that, but I believe it is the case. You had better chaeck.

[Lex]

4. Thanks.

Seems like they would want MORE people in the future, not to make it hard to sign up. But I'll check.

[frazzled]

5. No: if people were allowed to sign up any time, on a rolling basis

they'd only sign up when they actually got sick ... which really makes insurance unworkable. Sorry, that's just the way insurance operates: you have to have healthy people signing up, not just the sick people.

That's true even for Medicare, where the enrollment period is 7 months around your 65th b'day (3 months before and 3 months after your birthday). If you don't sign up then, you'll have to pay higher premiums.

Note the exception in the post above, however, for extenuating circumstances.

[Lex]

11. Makes sense but

healthy people might want to switch plans too.

[upaloopa]

14. You can during open enrollment it is like that

for employer provided health care ins also.

[VanillaRhapsody]

6. No you cannot....without a deadline the mandate would be useless...

without the mandate the Affordable Care Act would not survive...

You have until March 31'st or you will have to wait until Open Enrollment in the Fall.

[Lex]

8. OK, there's an open enrollment in the fall.

That works.

[VanillaRhapsody]

12. Yes...its just insurance regulation. With a marketplace and subsidies...

it works essentially the same as before the Affordable Care Act.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. The same happens with my employer-provided plan: we have open enrollment in October

It's for our plan for the next year. Once open enrollment closes, you're committed to the plan you selected until at least the next open enrollment period. It's why we sit down every October and compare plans between my wife's employer insurance and mine.

[Supersedeas]

7. who knows

[Motown_Johnny]

9. NO! Sign up now or you are SOL until October.

The exemptions are for people who lose coverage due to losing their job, or some other such life changing event.


Go... Now... why are you still here? This takes time you know! Get 'R' done.

[Lex]

13. I can wait until the next open enrollment.

I already have coverage.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. ahh, cool. Then if you lose coverage you can sign up.

But odds are it will save you money.

I had Blue Care Network through my employer but what I have now saves me about $130.00 a month over that plan.



You might want to at least look into it and see how the numbers work for you.

[alc]

10. enrollment has to be limited

Otherwise the opponents would be right that you can just sign up when you need it. Sign up this month, get your yearly checkup then anything else you need, then cancel.

You basically need to commit to paying for a year (you can cancel any time but are out for the rest of the year). And the commitment period is the same for everyone so insurers can collect all the data they need to calculate next year's policies/costs at the same time. And so they are all available for us to choose at the same time next year. There are exceptions that let you sign up mid-year (family or job changes). But for most people it will eventually be required that you sign up Oct-Dec or don't have ACA insurance the next year.

[Yo_Mama]

16. No - there is only one open enrollment period a year. n/t

[Lex]

23. Yeah, I saw that upthread.

Thanks.

[John1956PA]

17. No. After March 1, the next open enrollment period begins on November 15.

That is my understanding. If I am wrong, someone please correct me.

Yesterday, I submitted an application through HealthCare.gov and received an application number. The status of my application is "Pending." I wanted to get my application in before the March 31 deadline. Yes, I procrastinated, but I finally got moving after I checked the cost of health insurance on the private market. There are two large health care insurers in my area of Western Pennsylvania. I learned that one of the insurers does not provided coverage for residents in my county. The other insurer offers basic coverage which applies to major expenses, but leaves it to the policy holder to pay for most of the smaller expenses. The cost of that coverage is about $240 per month. I am looking forward to the quote which I will be receiving from HealthCare.gov.

[Puzzledtraveller]

19. In my state those who would be medicaid eligible

can still apply after the open enrollment period and be covered.