The Health Insurance Marketplace opened on October 1. While there were some difficulties with navigating the website, this piece of the Affordable Care Act is still moving forward as planned. The positive news for consumers is that the enrollment deadline for coverage beginning January 1, 2014 has been extended. Enroll by December 23 for coverage starting as soon as January 1. If you enroll, you have until at least December 31 to pay your first month’s premium according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. To learn more about the different ways that you can apply or to get help applying, click here to see our previous story on navigating the Health Insurance Marketplace.
With the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most people have health coverage (or pay a fee if you choose not to have health insurance), there are many questions that you may have regarding insurance. Perhaps this is your first time looking into purchasing health insurance on your own or you’ve just never really understood what health insurance is or what kind of coverage you would need. It’s important that you make an informed decision regarding your health insurance. An organization called InsuranceQuotes is working to provide this information for us. Some of the topics they cover in their Health Insurance Guide include: understanding insurance terminology and healthcare options, recognizing a scam, and identifying adequate coverage. Enroll Missouri and the Missouri Foundation for Health’s (MFH) website, Cover Missouri, also have some great resources for Missourians who have questions about the Health Insurance Marketplace.