The Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act. Open Enrollment 2016
The passage of The Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2009 makes healthcare accessible and affordable for millions of Americans, who are either priced out of the individual market or have pre-existing conditions that prevent them from getting good quality health insurance. With the passage of the bill and the signature by President Obama in 2010, it becomes illegal for health insurance companies to deny coverage to people based on preexisting conditions. Most people in the United States get their health insurance through their employer’s group benefits; however, some employers such as small businesses and independent contractors do not have access to a good quality health insurance before. The last day to enroll in a health plan through the healthcare marketplace is January 31, 2016 for this year except if one qualifies for a special election period. There are lots of Agents and Agencies helping people to enroll before the deadline to avoid paying the fines which doubled this year. We are offering free help for individuals to enroll in the plans available through the healthcare market place by appointments only. Call us 1-888-984-8553.
There are several plans available in the individual marketplace that individuals and families can choose from. Most people do qualify for subsidies which cover some or all of their premiums, and the best way to get the maximum subsidies is better to talk to a licensed agent or a trained healthcare navigator to help you apply for all the subsidies you qualified for in my opinion. The plans are given metallic symbols such as Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
The Bronze plans covers at least 60% of the cost of healthcare incurred by the insured and the insured pays the remaining 40% as a co-payment. These plans often costs less than all the other plans and still provides coverage that meets the minimum essential coverage that is required by the law. In most cases there is only one plan often cheaper than the Bronze plan which is the catastrophic coverage plan which is designed for young people with no major healthcare needs with few exceptions that allowed some adults to enroll.
The next coverage level from the Bronze plan is the silver plan which covers 70% of the covered charges and the insured pays the 30% copay. It is a very cost effective plan for people who want good coverage at an affordable cost. It covers all the essential health benefits such as preventive services, Doctor Visits and hospital visits as well.
Moreover, the Gold plan also provides the same quality benefits to consumers and the copay is lower the than the two plans covered above. With the Gold plan the consumer only have 20% copay and the plan pays 80% of the total cost of the covered services. It is more expensive than the Bronze and silver plans but also cover more. With subsidies, It can be affordable for many people and even those without subsidies can afford it. Most people are used to have 80/20 co-pays and this provides similar packages offered by most employers.
The final plan offered by insurance companies through the affordable Care Act is the platinum plan which covers 90% of the cost of healthcare services covered and the insured only pays 10% of the cost. This is a very good plan for people with high healthcare needs. The premiums are higher but it reduces the overall healthcare costs for people who have major health conditions. All the plans are available to everyone who qualifies. Sometimes is not easy to select the right plan, that’s why we highly recommend talking to a certified licensed agent to help you in making your enrollment decisions. There are many resources available through the healthcare.gov website and individual health plan sites as well. With just about a week left to enroll during the open enrollment, don’t procrastinate. Give us a call today or request a quote through our website www.insurance4allneeds.com.