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I hear the same old story with the 10k deducatable plan from BCBS. I decided not to cary health insurance next year. I will pay cash as needed. I know I will get fined but it is still cheaper. We have savings for any major items. I can always sign up for the govt plan since they do not care about preexisting. I also change my car insurance plan to cover medical.
I'm on an employer plan, but yeah I'd pay the fine too if I was out. At least for the first year. All I need is vision and dental and could pay that out of pocket. Congress might make tweaks the law after enough hullabaloo is raised.
I hear the same old story with the 10k deducatable plan from BCBS. I decided not to cary health insurance next year. I will pay cash as needed. I know I will get fined but it is still cheaper. We have savings for any major items. I can always sign up for the govt plan since they do not care about preexisting. I also change my car insurance plan to cover medical.
If you mean "I can always sign up for the govt plan since they do not care about preexisting" to mean that you believe you can sign up anytime you want/need the coverage - incorrect. The ONLY time you can sign up is during open enrollment. For now, that goes through March 31, 2014. Then reopens in October, 2014, for coverage that begins January, 2015. So - go ahead and get no coverage. Get sick on April 1, 2014. You're going to be footing the bills until January 1, 2015 before you get coverage in the exchange.
If you mean "I can always sign up for the govt plan since they do not care about preexisting" to mean that you believe you can sign up anytime you want/need the coverage - incorrect. The ONLY time you can sign up is during open enrollment. For now, that goes through March 31, 2014. Then reopens in October, 2014, for coverage that begins January, 2015. So - go ahead and get no coverage. Get sick on April 1, 2014. You're going to be footing the bills until January 1, 2015 before you get coverage in the exchange.
Thank you! I'm so tired of hearing people act like they'll just make a call to sign up for health insurance on their way to the hospital, and the unexpected emergency will be covered. No, it won't. As JK stated -- you can only enroll during the federal open enrollment period (which will be the last quarter of every year), and your coverage will start on 1/1 of the next year. There are a few exceptions for major life changes (i.e., job loss causing loss of group insurance, marriage, children, etc.). But otherwise, you can't just sign up for insurance whenever you feel like it.
Also, there is no "government plan" (other than medicaid). There is a law that requires various things from various entities. It requires that individuals purchase health insurance, and it requires that private health insurance companies offer certain coverage.
Are you saying BCBS will turn away a customer next July or September and tell them their coverage can't start for several more months? I know policies tend to renew on 1/1, but surely they start at different times.
Are you saying BCBS will turn away a customer next July or September and tell them their coverage can't start for several more months? I know policies tend to renew on 1/1, but surely they start at different times.
There are certain criteria such as loss of job which will allow you to pick up coverage mid year.
I believe he stated his policy was BC/BS. I and most others wouldn't consider that "shaky." It would appear he had the coverage that he was comfortable with-catastrophic and is now being forced into much more expensive plan. I too have a similar situation. I can take some risk and I don't need to make an insurance claim for every little thing (like many people do). A 20k deductible would be fine as far as I'm concerned! Myself or my 60 year old girlfriend have NO need for maternity coverage!
One of the benefits of the ACA is that there are no lifetime limits and the insurance policy cannot be cancelled arbitrarily by the insurance company. These are very common occurrences/practices with 'budget policies'. Many people do not understand this until they have to rely on the policy for extensive medical treatment.
You can bet the insurance companies are crunching the numbers and looking at tightening profit margins because their previous model "attract healthy people and keep out sick people" is no longer allowed under the ACA.
As for early renewal, I called BCBS and they do not write their policies to be 12 months long. While they can start me at any time now, they will continue to stop and re-start policies on 1/1. I forgot to ask them about signing up in the middle of next year if I randomly want to.
I did get a brochure from Aetna in the mail today about doing the December to December trick. I guess I will look into the doctors and hospitals they cover and check out their prices.
I would really rather spend my time doing something else!
EXCELLENT question! I will be looking at what off-exchange products are available. However, I haven't done enough research or due diligence to comment on them.
BCBS of NC is not selling any individual products that are not in the exchange or grandfathered policies. So I'll be contacting other companies next week.
Whoops -- one more thing I meant to add back when you wrote this. When looking off-exchange, please make sure that the plans you are considering still meet "Minimum Essential Coverage" as dictated by the ACA. If they don't, you're still subject to the same penalties as someone who doesn't have insurance at all. I think that's one of the reasons that BCBSNC's plans are the same both on and off exchange. They're not offering any plans that don't meet the "Minimum Essential Coverage".
Whoops -- one more thing I meant to add back when you wrote this. When looking off-exchange, please make sure that the plans you are considering still meet "Minimum Essential Coverage" as dictated by the ACA. If they don't, you're still subject to the same penalties as someone who doesn't have insurance at all. I think that's one of the reasons that BCBSNC's plans are the same both on and off exchange. They're not offering any plans that don't meet the "Minimum Essential Coverage".
I'm a little confused here.
I was speaking with BCBS of NC an hour ago. They told me that they do not have ANY individual policies that are not being sold through the exchange (except those that may be grandfathered). Even if you do not receive a subsidy, you are still buying through the exchange.
As a previous poster mentioned, if they sell you a policy on Dec 1, 2013, it will be cancelled on Dec 31, 2013 and you will have to purchase another policy. If you want to stay with BCBS, you have to buy one of those on the exchange.
So then I called Cigna. Yes, they will sell me an individual policy on Dec 1, 2013 and it will be effective through the end of 2014. What happens then? "It's unknown to us at this time." The 2013 policy would NOT have the "minimum essential coverage." I asked them if I would then be subject to the penalty (for adults, $95 or 1% of taxable income, whichever is higher.) He said no, no penalty. Which seems logical to me, but WTH to I know at this point. Come to that, WTH does anybody know at this point.
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