Washington Healthplanfinder Reminds Customers to Make First Premium Payment
Payment options available online and by phone or mail through insurance companies.
Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) is reminding customers who selected a plan during 2020 open enrollment to make the first month’s premium payment to their health insurance company.
“It is critical that customers make their first premium payment associated with their 2020 health insurance coverage,” said Pam MacEwan, chief executive officer at the Exchange. “This simple action will prevent unintended loss of health coverage or delays in accessing care in the new year.”
Covered California Releases New Enrollment Data and Issues Reports on Five Years of Improving Affordability, Access and Accountability
Covered California announced that there are more than 230,000 new plan selections during the current open enrollment period – up approximately 16 percent over this time last year. More than 1.15 million people have also renewed their coverage.
In addition, more than 540,000 people will receive new state subsidies that will make quality health care coverage more affordable in 2020.
The agency also released two extensive reports that detail Covered California’s impacts on lowering costs and assuring quality care in its implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Since 2013, California has reduced its uninsured rate by more than any other state in the nation has by expanding Medi-Cal, investing in marketing and outreach and keeping costs low for consumers.
California’s individual market consistently ranks among the healthiest in the nation, helping unsubsidized consumers save about $1,550 annually in 2018 on their premiums compared to consumers in the federal marketplace.
Covered California’s open-enrollment period runs through Jan. 31. Consumers must sign up before the end of Dec. 20 for their coverage to start on Jan. 1. California is one of 10 state marketplaces that are still open for business, representing 28 percent of Americans.
Nevadans Who Started Their Enrollment Applications on or Before the Dec. 15 Deadline Have Until Dec. 20 to Complete Applications for Coverage that Begins on Jan. 1 2020
Carson City, Nev. – The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange), Nevada’s state agency that helps individuals obtain budget-appropriate health coverage through the online marketplace, Nevada Health Link, has extended its Open Enrollment deadline to 11:59 p.m. PST Friday, Dec. 20 for consumers who started the application process on or before the Dec. 15 midnight Open Enrollment deadline.
"We recognize the enrollment process for health insurance can be time-consuming. That’s why we are giving consumers five extra days to complete their application to purchase plans for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2020," said Heather Korbulic, executive director, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange.
In response to tremendous pressure after yesterday's major technical issues at HealthCare.Gov, CMS Administrator Seema Verma just announced that the deadline for people to #GetCovered in the 38 states which host their ACA enrollment platform with HealthCare.Gov will indeed be extended by 2 days:
We at @CMSGov want to ensure a seamless shopping experience for everyone seeking coverage, so starting at 3 pm ET today, we are extending the marketplace #OpenEnrollment deadline until 3 am ET December 18! https://t.co/HmVdpJlX2C
OK, this is about as obscure of an "announcement" as I can imagine: Per a heads up from Louise Norris, if you visit the Washington HealthPlan Finder website this morning, there's a simple message at the top reading:
There's still time to get covered. Sign up by Dec. 30 to get coverage that starts Feb 1st.
That's it. There's no link to a press release, there's nothing in their "news announcements" archive, and as of this writing there's no tweet from their Twitter account announcing it...just that simple text message.
I'll update if/when there's a formal announcement, but until then...it appears that Washington State residents do indeed have another 16 days to #GetCovered after all, even if they'll face a one-month gap in coverage.
UPDATE: Confirmed:
Still need to sign up in a health plan? You're in luck!
Enroll in a plan from now through Dec. 30 at 8pm to receive coverage starting Feb. 1, 2020. #GetCoveredWA
If you still missed the deadline, you won't be eligible to enroll for ACA-compliant major medical coverage for the rest of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) due to a qualify life event lke getting married/divorced, moving, giving birth/adopting a child, turning 26, becoming ineligible for Medicaid or losing your employer-sponsored health insurance coverage.
Dammit, I took a couple of hours off to rewatch The Force Awakens with my kid (in anticipation of The Rise of Skywalker coming out this week), and look what happens...
HealthCare.Gov is not letting people login to enroll. This is the second outage, the first lasted 15 minutes. We're 8 minutes into the second. Last time this happened, 100k people could not enroll. @CMSGov must extend the deadline.
Due to high call volume and enrollment demand, @CoveredCA will extend the deadline for Jan. 1 coverage through midnight next Friday, Dec. 20. That means consumers have an extra 5 days to sign up for #ACA#healthcare coverage for all of 2020. Check rates.
Moments ago, Covered California, the nation's largest state-based ACA exchange, released data via a media teleconference regarding the 2020 Open Enrollment Period.
In addition to being the largest ACA exchange after HealthCare.Gov, this info from Covered California is especially significant for the 2020 OEP due to their newly expanded/enhanced premium subsidies.
To recap: Under the ACA, financial subsidies are available to exchange enrollees earning between 100-400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). That's between around $12,500 - $50,000/yr if you're a single adult, or between $25,000 - $100,000/yr for a family of four. Under the standard ACA formula, enrollees in that income range have their premiums capped at no more than around 2.0 - 9.8% of their income, on a sliding scale.
Unfortunately, this means that people earning more than 400% FPL are eligible for no financial assistance at all, a sudden drop-off known as the Subsidy Cliff.
