Open enrollment is the period of time during which you can enroll in a health insurance plan. Depending on where you get your health insurance, this time period may or may not fall at the end of the year. Generally, it is the only time of year you can enroll in new coverage or change your existing coverage. Exceptions may be made in the case of life changes like marriage, divorce, or childbirth.

If you get your insurance through the Affordable Care Act, you are buying insurance through the health exchange. When you hear the term Obamacare, it refers to this type of insurance. Open enrollment has just begun for Obamacare. To enroll in this health insurance for the 2018 calendar year, you must sign up between November 1, 2017 and December 15, 2017. You can do this through healthcare.gov or through your state marketplace.

If you get your insurance through your employer, ask your employer when open enrollment is. You likely will have enrolled in the insurance plan when you started working for the company. After that, there is usually one month out of the year during which you can re-enroll for another year or make changes to your policy. Ask your employer, typically the human resources department, when the enrollment period is and what forms you will need to complete.

Other health insurance options may not have specific open enrollment periods. For example, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, allow you to apply at any time.

Enrollment for Medicare is based on age. You can enroll for Medicare at age 65 years. The enrollment period begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after your 65th birthday.

Although the fate of Obamacare is currently in question, as of this writing, open enrollment is open. If you plan to use this health insurance, be sure to sign up during open enrollment. The deadline is December 15.

Do you want more guidance as you choose which health insurance plan is best for you and your family? Get my book Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance. In it, I walk through everything you need to know, including what kinds of health plans may be available to you, what information you should gather before choosing a plan, and some of the terms you will want to know.

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It is currently too late to enroll in health insurance and have it be effective January 1st. Makes sense, since we are already a few days into January.

You can, however, still sign up to have health insurance for the remainder of the year. The deadline and absolute latest you can sign up for Obamacare is January 31st. And if you wait until that later part of January, your health insurance won’t actually be effective until March 1st, so keep that in mind. If you enroll in Obamacare by January 15th, your coverage will begin as early as February 1st.

So if Obamacare is your choice, enroll now. The sooner the better.

Curious about what Obamacare will cover? Watch this short video.

Want to know even more about Obamacare? Check out my book Easy Healthcare: Obamacare, available as either a paperback book or an ebook.

The post What is the Deadline for Enrolling in Obamacare? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Inside Nepal’s Next Challenge: Overflowing Hospitals

Hospitals throughout Nepal are flooded with patients, with thousands in need of care for acute injuries after a massive earthquake that the country’s leader said may have killed up to 10,000.

A Day in the Life of a Stolen Healthcare Record

The process of divining the provenance of stolen healthcare records. These records typically are processed or handled by a gauntlet of third party firms, most of which have no direct relationship with the patient or customer ultimately harmed by the breach.

P.S.–TODAY is your last day to sign up for the ObamaCare Enrollment Extension!

Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post Helpful Healthcare Links: April 30, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Californians Can Now Pay Cash For Health Insurance At 7-Eleven

The largest publicly run health plan in the nation, L.A. Care, will allow customers who do not have traditional bank accounts to pay their health insurance premiums with cash.

Medicaid Expands In Other States, But Not Florida

The Florida Senate has proposed a plan that would accept federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to establish a state-run private insurance exchange for low-income residents.

P.S.–TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that will take place from March 15 – April 30, 2015.

Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post Helpful Healthcare Links: April 23, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

I hope this post helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on how to choose insurance in our new book,Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

Available for download NOW!

The post 3 Easy Steps To Choosing A Health Insurance Plan appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

What a question to ask on your birthday!  But, this is what my daughter and I are talking about since she turns 25 this week.  She has insurance now, but on her next birthday she’ll need a new health plan.  But why?

Luckily, she’s currently covered under my health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”).  ObamaCare allows young adults to stay on a parent’s policy until they reach the age of 26.  However, next year, my daughter will need her own insurance plan.

As with all health matters, the best advice is plan ahead.  My daughter has a year to figure out what insurance plan best fits her needs.

First, she must find out where she can get insurance.

1. Does her employer offer an insurance plan?
2. Is she eligible for a state program such as Medicaid?
3. If neither of these options work, she is likely eligible for ObamaCare through the health exchanges.

Once she knows how she will get health insurance, she will need to pick a plan.  She should consider:

1. Is she healthy?  If so, a high deductible plan is often an option for young adults.
2. Does she want to keep her doctors?  If so, she will need to find a plan that her doctors participate in.  Just having insurance doesn’t guarantee that her doctor’s charges will be paid for by her new insurance company.
3. Consider the costs.  Often the employer will pay for part of the insurance or she may be able to get subsidies if she buys insurance through the health exchange.

There a lot of questions to answer.  To help you figure out the process, check out our blog post THIS THURSDAY showing my young friend Lauren picking an insurance plan.

Tell us how you or your children selected health insurance.  We’d love to hear from you.

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For more information about your health insurance, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing Your Health Insurance.

We hope we’re helping you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post Happy Birthday! Do You have Health Insurance? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Giving Out Private Data For Discount In Insurance

John Hancock will become the first insurance company to offer a program for Americans that tracks policyholders’ medical information and offers discounts for healthy behavior.

Tax Deadline Meets The Health Law

If you were insured through work, bought a plan on the new insurance marketplaces or enrolled in Medicare Part A, Medicaid or Tricare you likely met the requirement and can simply check that box off on your tax form.

P.S.–TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that will take place from March 15 – April 30, 2015.

Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

◊

HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post Helpful Health Care Links: April 9, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

P.S.–Please remember that ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that from March 15 – April 30, 2015. Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post Does Your Healthcare Provider “Accept Or “Participate In” Your Health Insurance Plan? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

P.S.–Please remember that ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that from March 15 – April 30, 2015. Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

◊

HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post So You’re Signing Up For ObamaCare…What Is Covered? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

P.S. -We know purchasing the right insurance plan can be complex. However, if you learn some basic, but important, terms and spend a little time to do some homework, you can pick a plan with ease. Some up-front preparation and being aware of your options will help you avoid picking a costly plan that doesn’t cover your most important healthcare needs. Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family

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