Choosing Health Insurance After Open Enrollment
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Health insurance is a pervasive thing in today’s society and almost everyone has heard of it or has had to deal with something related to it at some point. And despite this wide spreading of the topic, there are still so many misunderstandings circulating around and so much confusion.
It can start with general things such as how does health insurance work, who can benefit from it, how to get one and when to get it. And it can go as far into details as dealing with terms such as deductible, copay, out-of-pocket maximum and so on and so forth. In this article, we will be looking at the term “open enrollment” and at how to get health insurance after open enrollment.
What Does Open Enrollment Mean
The first thing you need to know about health insurance is that buying one might be more difficult to do than you’ve thought of. This is due to the fact that you can do it only during special times of the year.
This being said, for example, the enrollment for the year of 2019 health insurance coverage started in November and ended around the middle of December 2018, with some states extending the dates more than the others. With this limited amount of time available to apply for health insurance, it is no surprise that every year, the number of people uninsured is rising.
The Good News
But if you have missed 2019’s deadline, don’t give up just yet, there might still be a way you can do it. There are two ways you can still enroll for 2019: with the use of a special enrollment period or with the help of Medicaid or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program).
Special Enrollment Period
A special enrollment period refers to an excuse you get to apply for enrollment after the open period had ended. How do you know if you qualify for such an exception? If any of the following events have happened in the last 60 days to anybody who is part of your household, then you might qualify for special enrollment:
- getting married
- losing someone to death
- having or adopting a baby
- placing a child for foster care
- divorcing or separating in a legal manner and thus losing the health insurance
- changing one’s residence
- becoming a new citizen of the U.S.
- leaving prison and so on
If any of these apply to you, then congratulations, you might be eligible for a special enrollment period. Thus, you will be able to get health insurance even after the open enrollment.
Medicaid and CHIP
Medicaid and CHIP are programs that help people in need apply for a low-cost or even free medical insurance. If you find yourself qualifying for one of these, then you can enroll immediately, no matter the open enrollment or the time of the year.
In conclusion, if you have missed this year’s open enrollment date, then worry not. There are still options available for you and you might still be eligible for one.