So what happens to your health insurance plan in 2014? For most people, a lot. Here’s what to expect if you have an individual health insurance plan with BlueChoice Health Plan in South Carolina.
MyChoice® Individual Health Plans sold after Oct. 1, 2010 have a common contract renewal date of September 1 each year, regardless of the effective date of a particular member’s coverage based on filings with the Department of Insurance. MyChoice members are non-grandfathered.
Anyone who purchased non-grandfathered plans with effective dates between April 1, 2010 and September 1, 2010, will have their coverage expire on their policy anniversary date in 2014. That includes any BlueChoice for Kids and BlueChoice for Young Adults plans. These members must purchase a new, qualified health insurance plan by that date.
If you purchase a new individual health plan with BlueChoice between now and the end of 2013, you will be able to keep that coverage through August 2014. At that time, you’ll have to purchase one of the new, qualified health insurance plans. (When you hear “qualified health insurance plans,” you’re free to think $$$).
All BlueChoice for Kids individual policies that were sold with an effective date prior to March 23, 2010, the date the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act went into effect, are grandfathered members. They may keep their coverage until they age off the plan at age 30, provided they have not made significant changes after March 23, 2010.
These rules regarding grandfathered and non-grandfathered plans are not unique to BlueChoice. They’re part of the “PPACA” (“Obamacare”) law. Different insurance companies are handling these changes differently — some are making everyone change plans on January 1, others are allowing people to wait until the end of 2014. BlueChoice is somewhere in the middle – you can keep the older plans (and perhaps more importantly, the pre-2014 pricing) through August.
For 2013, BlueChoice is among the most competitive individual health plans available in South Carolina. Contact us to get a quote or to learn more.
