Statewide Iowa — If you buy your own health insurance, the time has come to consider your plan for next year. Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — is now underway.
The Federal Health Insurance Exchange (also known as the Marketplace) Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1, 2018, to December 15, 2018, for coverage starting on January 1, 2019.
Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says that Iowans looking for ACA-compliant health coverage should get in touch with a licensed agent to research their coverage options. A licensed insurance agent can help Iowans determine the best plan for themselves and their families, he says. According to Ommen, for those needing individual coverage, Iowans have two carriers, Medica and Wellmark. He says you can go to healthcare.gov to review these ACA-compliant plans, which have varying deductible and copayment levels. According to Ommen, the ACA tax credit subsidy system will produce affordable coverage for many Iowans whose household incomes fall below 400% of the federal poverty level.
He says that the premium increases for ACA-compliant plans have priced a significant number of Iowans out of the individual market. But he says with the help of a local insurance agent, consumers who do not receive subsidies through the ACA may have other more affordable options.
Enrollment is also underway for a non-insurance health benefit plan sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau, a non-profit agricultural organization.
For more information from the Iowa Insurance Division on ACA open enrollment, click here.
Meanwhile, open enrollment is also underway for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program or “SHIIP” is available to offer free, unbiased and confidential assistance to Iowans, says Ommen.
He says that Iowans have nine new Part D drug plans available to them in 2019 and many new Medicare Advantage options. According to Ommen, Medicare can be very confusing, and he encourages any Iowans eligible for Medicare as well as caregivers to reach out to the SHIIP team for assistance before the open enrollment window closes.
