There are some things about Healthcare.gov that might surprise you.
You know it’s not working well – at least not yet. That may or may not change in the coming weeks, but there are some important things you need to know that you probably aren’t hearing about.
Are you required to register on the government marketplace on Healthcare.gov? Is that the only way to purchase health insurance? What do you need to do? These are important questions, so read on to get answers that might surprise you.
1. You can buy health insurance outside of the government marketplace/exchange. The way the rollout of Obamacare has been portrayed, it seems most people (including the media – both “mainstream” and “conservative”) are under the impression that the only way to purchase health insurance is to do so on Healthcare.gov. That’s simply not the case.
We could help you purchase an Obamacare-compliant plan right now that would take effect January 1. And you can do so without the enormous hassle-factor of trying to navigate the government’s website (with all the privacy concerns that go with it).
There’s just one catch: The only way you can get a premium tax credit (a subsidy to help pay premiums for those who qualify) is by purchasing through the government exchange. So if your income doesn’t qualify you for a premium tax credit, or you just don’t want to bother with Healthcare.gov, there’s absolutely no need to use the government exchange.
2. We can show you health insurance prices on plans right now. Again, you don’t have to register with the government to see what your premiums would be in 2014. We can get you those quotes right now directly from the insurance carriers. We won’t be able to tell you what kind of subsidy you’ll be eligible for, but we can access some online calculators that will give us a ballpark idea.
Then we’ll know whether it seems like a good idea to take you through the government exchange or not. Again, if you don’t get a subsidy, there’s no reason at all to bother. You can purchase coverage much more simply without it.
3. There are different plan options off the exchange that are not available on the exchange. There are a limited number of health insurance carriers in each state that are participating in the government’s exchange. There are others, however, who have chosen not to participate in the exchange but who do have plans available off the exchange. Furthermore, some of the companies participating will have additional plans off the exchange that you can’t buy on the exchange.
The bottom line here is that there are probably more options off the exchange than on it. We can help you explore them.
4. You can probably save a lot of money by purchasing a plan before 2014. There are health insurance companies that are still offering 2013 plans at 2013 prices. These won’t be available to everyone because they can still be underwritten – meaning you could be declined or pay more due to medical risk. But if you’re reasonably healthy you can still get a plan that will be significantly cheaper than what you’d pay in 2014, and you’ll be able to keep those plans and prices well into 2014.
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Conclusion:
Nobody knows exactly how this is going to play out next year. Just know that you are not dependent on Healthcare.gov to get health insurance. Beginning in 2014 all plans will play by the same rules as set forth in the Affordable Care Act — the only reason to register with the government exchange is if you think you’re eligible for a subsidy to help lower your premiums.
AC Forrest can help you figure all of this out. We’re certified to assist consumers on the government marketplace and can help you figure out if that’s worth the time for you or not. Let us help you figure out when, where, and how to purchase health insurance.
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