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Can You Get Health Insurance at Any Time?

If you are unhappy with your current health insurance policy, then it might be time to shop for a different plan. But can you purchase a new plan at any time? Yes, and no. For marketplace plans, once the open enrollment period (November 10 to December 15) is over, you generally cannot get a new plan. The open enrollment period for employer-based insurance might be at a different time of year, but you will still only be able to change your plan during that enrollment period. In most cases, if you want to get health insurance or change your plan outside of the open enrollment period, you will need to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). SEPs open up when you experience what is known as a qualifying life event.

Qualifying Life Events

caucasian couple hlding a baby girl in the middle while both are kissing each cheek — *You can get health insurance outside of open enrollment if you qualify for SEP such as getting married or having a baby.*

You have 60 days to change your plan if you:

Got married
Had a baby, adopted a child, or took in a foster child
Got divorced or legally separated. However, if you do not lose coverage due to divorce or legal separation, then you do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Had someone on your marketplace plan die
Changed residence. If you move to a new home in a new ZIP code or county, move to attend school, are a seasonal worker and move between job and home, or move from a shelter or other transitional housing to a permanent residence, you will qualify for an SEP.
Lost your health insurance. This includes losing job-based coverage, losing a plan you bought yourself, losing eligibility for Medicaid or Medicare, and losing coverage through a family member.
Gained membership in a federally recognized tribe or status as an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation shareholder
Became newly eligible for Marketplace coverage because you became a U.S. citizen
Left incarceration
Started or ended service as an AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, or NCCC member

Short-Term Medical Plans

If you do not qualify for any of the life events listed above, all hope is not lost. You can enroll in a short-term medical plan. Short-term health insurance provides fast, flexible insurance with many benefits. These plans can be extended up to 3 years, and you can pick your deductible amount from many options. You are also able to drop coverage without a penalty if you want to change to a long term insurance option. Premiums are lower than ACA health insurance plans, and you get coverage as soon as a day after applying.

It is important to understand that short-term insurance is temporary and not ideal for those who require more comprehensive coverage or have health conditions. Short term plans are not guaranteed-issue, meaning they do not cover pre-existing conditions. They only cover the basics.

Do you qualify for a special enrollment period? If not, are you considering a short-term health insurance plan to hold you over until open enrollment begins? EZ.Insure can help. We offer accurate health insurance quotes based on your specific region, free of charge. That’s right. We will provide you with an agent who will compare all available plans for you, and help you choose a health insurance plan that is based on your health needs and budget, for free. To get your free quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to an agent, call 888-350-1890.

Does Trumpcare Exist?

When President Trump took office, one of his campaign promises was to get rid of Obamacare also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and replace it with new health care. Trump delivered on this campaign promise, providing Americans with Trumpcare, also known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Trumpcare was voted on, and passed in the House on May 4, 2017. Since being passed, the number of Americans getting health insurance has gone up by 7 million. There are some similarities between Obamacare and Trumpcare. So why have Americans been signing up for insurance more now with Trumpcare?

Chart with blue bars increasing in size with a red line drawn over them. — *Since Trumpcare was introduced, more Americans have been signing up for health insurance.*

Short Term Plans

Short term plans used to have limitations of 3 months. As of October 1st, 2018, the short term health plans have a one-year policy term. Short term health insurance provides fast, flexible insurance with many benefits. You may pick your deductible amount from many options. You are also able to drop coverage without a penalty for a long term insurance option. Premiums are lower than ACA health insurance plans, and you get coverage as soon as a day after applying.

Once someone signs up for a one-year short term plan, they may potentially renew it for up to three years. Insurers can ask medical questions and possibly reject consumers due to pre-existing conditions for a short-term policy. Once approved for the plan, if a consumer develops a ‘pre-existing condition’, rejection can occur during the renewal process

Individual Mandate

Obamacare enforced an individual mandate penalty for Americans who did not have insurance. The individual mandate was the requirement of people to obtain health insurance for the year, and if not then you had to pay a penalty during tax season. In December 2017, President Trump eliminated the individual mandate from Obamacare. Trump did away with the individual mandate because Republicans believed it discouraged people from buying insurance that costs just as much as the uninsured penalty.

Pre-existing Conditions

Like Obamacare, Trumpcare protects people with pre-existing conditions. People who stay insured, without a gap in coverage, will not pay a price for health insurance based on pre-existing conditions. No insurance plan can reject you, charge you more, or refuse to pay for essential health benefits for any condition you had before your coverage started. However, Trumpcare has given the states authority to change the pricing for people who do not stay insured

A sign with "health" on it point to the right with another sign below it saying "illness" pointing to the other. — *Pre-existing conditions are covered under Trumpcare, but people with them may have to pay more.*

year round. In other words, once you choose to be uninsured, and stay uninsured for an extended period of time, you will face a higher rate for health insurance due to your pre-existing conditions.

Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program

Trumpcare created the Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program. It is a pool of funds the government sets aside to assist insurance companies in covering people with high expenses (people with pre-existing conditions). The risk pools are invisible to the customer. This means that high medical cost individuals would not know they’re in the risk pool. They are expected to pay the same cost for insurance as healthy people.

Trumpcare does exist, and has been slowly replacing Obamacare. Getting rid of the individual mandate, and extending short term plan’s length has been Trumpcare’s biggest changes, and main focus. These changes were made in hopes of getting more Americans to sign up for insurance, because the more that people sign up (especially healthy people), then the lower the insurance costs will be. Since more Americans have been signing up for health insurance, hopefully the costs will begin to go down.

Trump Promises To Protect Pre-Existing Conditions

Over the years, President Trump has been slowly picking away at Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. But there has been one section of the ACA that he intends to keep, which is the pre-existing conditions clause. Trump recently stated he was going to “totally protect people with pre-existing conditions.” Despite the Trump Administration putting the provision in jeopardy, Trump is stating he backs it and that Democrats do not.

*Trump promises to protect and cover pre-existing conditions, even after the ACA is gone.*

The controversy all began when Trump was running for presidency. One of his promises was to get rid of Obamacare, and so far he has kept that promise. Over the years, he has gotten rid of the individual mandate. This mandate stated that people must get health insurance or they will face a penalty. Due to getting rid of this mandate, many states have challenged the ACA’s constitutionality in a lawsuit this past February. These states are saying that since the mandate is unconstitutional, then the entire health care is also.

The Promise

Throughout the dismantling of the ACA, Trump is fighting to protect people with pre-existing conditions. He wants to make sure that they are still able to get health insurance, and will not be rejected or pay more because of the conditions. This is all came about as midterm elections were approaching, and he was urging people to vote Republican. In his tweet he stated that Republicans will back those with pre-existing conditions, and that Democrats will not, so “vote Republican.”

Trump administration officials said they will allow states to use federal subsidies to pay for health plans that don’t cover pre-existing conditions. Republicans all over the U.S. back what Trump has said about pre-existing conditions.

*Make sure you plan ahead so that you are covered. Look into a short-term plan, and if it will work for you.*

However, there are many doubts if this will actually hold true. A lot of people are skeptical about the pre-existing provision, especially after the midterm elections. Many see this as an attempt to get people to support Trump. The fact is that premiums may be high for those with pre-existing conditions, and not necessarily protect them.

Short-term plans are being expanded in hopes that people will go for them, which does not offer comprehensive plans. This means they may not necessarily cover pre-existing conditions. But if Trump does truly stand behind protecting pre-existing conditions, he can take some steps to ensure it will be be protected, which we have yet to see.

Once the lawsuit between the states and the government to get rid of the ACA is over, only then will we know what will happen with pre-existing conditions. This can cost a lot of people looking for health insurance a lot of money, and even possibly be denied coverage.

Cheaper Short Term Plans Can Now Last Up To 3 Years

The Trump Administration has finally finalized expanding insurance companies ability to sell short-term health insurance plans for up to 3 years (36 months). This will allow consumers to buy less expensive and less comprehensive insurance policies for a longer time. The old rule for short-term health insurance was that it cannot last for more than three months. This new rule will open these policies to consumers for up to 36 months, in hopes that more healthy people will utilize them. These plans may offer less coverage, but will be there for those who can not afford or do not feel that they need extensive coverage.

“We want to open up affordable alternatives to unaffordable Affordable Care Act policies,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. “Americans need more choices in health insurance so they can find coverage that meets their needs. The status quo is failing too many Americans who face skyrocketing costs and fewer and fewer choices. This is one step in the direction of providing Americans health insurance options that are more affordable and more suitable for individual and family circumstances.”

In 2016, Obama restricted these plans by limiting them to just three months of coverage from 12 months. Back in October, Trump issued an executive order to cut back the restrictions on these plans that limited them to three months. By removing these restrictions, Trump gave the public the ability to decide for themselves whether they need a more committal plan, or a short term plan for the next year. This is one of Trump’s first steps to achieving his promise of dismantling the ACA once and for all.

Some skeptics worry that the more healthy people leave the marketplace, the more expensive premiums will be for those still in the market. The premiums would increase and cause subsidies for policyholders to rise which in turn would cost the government more money.

When asked about the concerns that the proposed rules would destabilize insurance markers Seema Verma, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services said, “we don’t think there’s any validity”. She continued to state that federal officials believe that between 100,000 and 200,000 healthy people now buying insurance through those federal exchanges would switch to the short-term plans, as well as others who are now uninsured.

Once someone signs up for a short term plan for a year, they can now continue to renew it for up to three years. Insurers can ask medical questions and possibly reject consumers due to pre-existing conditions for a short-term policy. Once approved for the plan, if a consumer develops a ‘pre-existing condition’, then they can be rejected when it is time to renew.

*Short term plans do not cover maternity care, so if you are considering getting pregnant you should take into consideration how much out of pocket costs you can handle.*

Short term plans are less expensive, because they cover less, for example, maternity care and preventative care are not covered. It is ideally for those who are relatively healthy and do not need a lot of coverage. The hope is that the new rule will be more appealing for younger and healthier people.

The Trump Administration believes this will bring in an increase in premium revenues and profits because more people would sign up for a short-term insurance plan. This will allow the insurers to set prices to reflect a customer’s health risk of high medical costs. Trump believes that this 36 month extension is important because premiums more than doubled from 2013-2017 for health plans in the federal Marketplace Insurance exchange.

If you are looking for a short term plan or have questions regarding it’s coverage, EZ.Insure can help. Our agents specialize in short term plans in your area and can answer any questions you have to find out if it is right for you. You will be given your own advisor who will go over different plans, and help sign you up free of charge. To start saving, enter your zip code in the bar above to get instant quotes, email us at [email protected], or call 855-220-1144. We guarantee we will be able to find you a plan that is affordable and meets your needs.

Tag: short term plans

Can You Get Health Insurance at Any Time?

Qualifying Life Events

Short-Term Medical Plans

Trump Promises To Protect Pre-Existing Conditions

The Promise

Cheaper Short Term Plans Can Now Last Up To 3 Years

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