Health coverage opportunities remain
BY HENRY CUELLAR, GUEST COMMENTARY : APRIL 8, 2014
You may not know that, while the March 31 deadline for the healthcare open enrollment period has passed, it may not be too late to sign up. If you are uninsured, you may have a second chance at applying for subsidized health insurance.
If you missed the deadline, there are a few ways for you to get covered. I encourage everyone that still has not received coverage to look at the options available and get health insurance.
There are five ways to sign up and get insured:
1. If you started your application before the deadline, take advantage of the grace period. People that started applications on www.healthcare.gov before the March 31 deadline have until Tuesday, April 15, to complete the process.
2. Use a special enrollment period. If a natural disaster, domestic abuse, a serious illness, mistakes by application counselors, errors by insurance companies or something of the like prevented you from enrolling for health insurance, you may be eligible for a special enrollment period. Contact the Federal Call Center, at 800-318-2596, or your state marketplace and explain what went wrong. If your extension is approved, you have 60 days to enroll.
3. Enroll in Medicaid. If you qualify for Medicaid, you can still enroll. There is no deadline for this program. Eligibility for Medicaid varies from state to state and is based on income.
To find out if you are eligible for Medicaid in Texas and would like more information, call the Medicaid client hotline at 800-252-8263, or Children's Medicaid (CHIP) at 800-647-6558.
4. Enroll in a private insurance agency plan. ACA does not stop buyers from enrolling into private insurance company plans. However, it may be difficult to find one that offers full coverage, and options may be limited.
It is also important to note that private plans do not come with government subsidies that help make it affordable for low- or mid-level income individuals and families.
5. Prepare for Open Enrollment 2015. The enrollment period for 2015 is scheduled to begin Nov. 15 and run for three months. Improvements to the enrollment process have been suggested for the next time around.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar serves residents of District 28. His staff can be reached at 202-225-1640.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/northeast/article/Health-coverage-opportunities-remain-5383842.php
