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How to enroll in health insurance during the 2018 Open Enrollment Period

Signing up for health insurance has never been more affordable or more convenient than it is under the new healthcare law. The Affordable Care Act requires all eligible Americans to enroll in a qualified health insurance plan, and you have several options for fulfilling this requirement. You can either call and enroll in an Obamacare plan over the phone, you can meet a licensed health insurance agent in person, or you can enroll in a health insurance plan online.

There are some important dates to remember for this Open Enrollment Period:

• November 1, 2018: Open Enrollment begins. You can now shop around and enroll in a better health insurance plan.
• December 15, 2018: If you want health insurance to start on January 1st, you must complete enrollment by this date. This is the last day for the Open Enrollment Period where you can enroll for 2019 coverage. Your insurance carrier will likely auto-renew your policy for 2019 but you still have an opportunity to shop around for a better, more affordable plan.
• January 1, 2019: Your new coverage plan aplied for during the 6 week enrollment period will now begin and last all year until the next season as long as premium payments are made to the carrier.

Where to Start

If you need a little help paying your monthly health insurance premium, you may qualify for government subsidies. This year, you can enroll in a health insurance plan on a private health insurance marketplace, on the federal marketplace or your state exchange and receive subsidies. If you are unsure how to enroll on a health insurance exchange, you can either do so online (which you can start by filling out the enrollment form above), or over the phone by speaking to a licensed health insurance agent.

Open Enrollment Questions? Call 1-561-210-5822 at the Insurance Resource Center

The average monthly subsidy for families who enrolled back in the 2015 Open Enrollment Period was $268 and approximately 80% of the people who enrolled met the requirements to receive a subsidy from the government. That figure has not changed much to date.
Using this site or your state’s own marketplace if it’s available, you can browse through plans and enroll in coverage without leaving your computer.

Whichever method you choose to enroll in a health insurance policy, the process and information requested is substantially the same and will be discussed in more detail below.

Information to Keep at Hand

Before you sit down to start applying for a policy, either through a website or before calling an agent, gather some important documentation to simplify the enrollment process. You’ll be asked about your income, household status, whether you use tobacco and information on any insurance that might already be available to you through work. Jot down this information or look at your previous tax records to make sure you give an accurate picture of your situation.

You should also ask yourself some key questions about your insurance needs. The government is expecting that millions of more people will enroll in health insurance during the 2018 Open Enrollment Period and there are many new Obamacare plans to choose from this year. With greater choices, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for so the task isn’t overwhelming. Here are some things to consider:

• How many family members need regular care?
• Will my kids need extra coverage due to sports or other activities?
• Can I get away with a higher deductible, or do I need to invest in a more expensive plan?

Knowing what you need beforehand will streamline your enrollment process because you can skip plans that automatically don’t meet your needs. Just remember that you don’t have to pay extra for services like preventive care and prescription coverage. The new law requires all insurance plans sold after March 23, 2010 to offer ten essential benefits, and preventive care is among these benefits. You won’t have to worry about this provision if you buy a plan on the marketplace because all plans sold on the state or federal exchanges are ACA-compliant.

A full list of the minimum essential health coverage benefits now offered with all Obamacare plans are:

• Emergency care
• Hospitalization
• Lab testing
• Maternity care before, during and after labor
• Mental health counseling services
• Outpatient or ambulatory care
• Pediatric services
• Prescription drugs
• Preventative services
• Rehabilitative care and related equipment