Thursday, April 17, 2014

When is the next PPACA Open Enrollment?


The 2015 Open Enrollment Period begins on November 15, 2014, and will last through February 15, 2015. The earliest effective date of coverage for the initial Open Enrollment will be Janaury 1, 2015. Applications with the required premium received before the 15th of the month will be effective the first day of the following month. Applications with required premium received after the 15th of the month will be effective the first day of the month plus one additional month.  For example, if your application and required premium are received on or before December 15th, the effective date will be January 1st (the earliest effective date for the initial Open Enrollment); if your application and required premium are received on December 20th, the effective date will be February 1st.

Applications must be received during the Open Enrollment Period.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Open Enrollment Period

Open Enrollment is the period of time during which individuals who are eligible to enroll in a Qualified health Plan can enroll in a plan in the Marketplace.  For 2014 coverage, the Open Enrollment period ended march 31, 2014.  The Open Enrollment period for 2015 coverage is November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015.  Individuals may also qualify for Special Enrollment Periods outside of Open Enrollment if they experience certain events.

A Special Enrollment Period is a time outside of this Open Enrollment period during which you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage.  In the Marketplace, you generally qualify for a special enrollment period of 60 days following certain life events that involve a change in family status (for example marriage or birth of a child) or loss of other health coverage.  If you don't have a special enrollment period, you can't buy insurance until the next Open Enrollment period.  Job-based plans generally allow special enrollment periods of 30 days.

You will be eligible for a Short Term policy during this period, but understand that you will still have a possibility of a penalty at the end of the year because these policies are not ACA compliant.