Still need health insurance for 2019?
If you are uninsured and still in need of health coverage for 2019, you have a couple of coverage options.
You might be able to get health insurance if you have had a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). A QLE is something that makes you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. You also may get insurance if you qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Grab our free step-by-step guide to enrolling in Marketplace health insurance here.
Open Enrollment Period and Special Enrollment Periods
Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1 to December 15. During that time, you can purchase a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace. This is the one time a year you can do so without a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).
Outside of that period, you might be able to enroll in a Marketplace health insurance plan if you have had a Qualifying Life Event that makes you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period.
Most Qualifying Life Events fall into one of five major categories:
- A loss of health insurance coverage
- A change in the size of your household
- A move to a new zip code, gaining citizenship
- Release from incarceration.
The Health Sherpa Consumer Advocate Team can help you determine if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. The Consumer Advocate Team can be reached at (872) 228-2549. You can compare prices, see what subsidies and tax credits you could qualify for, and shop for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plan here, or just enter your zip code below.
Medicaid and CHIP
You can enroll in Medicaid or CHIP, government-funded and -administered health insurance programs for low-income Americans, at any time during the year, and not just during Open Enrollment.
Medicaid eligibility is largely based on income. Right now in the U.S., Medicaid covers one in four children and one in five adults.
32 states plus Washington, D.C. have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover individuals and families with household incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. This translates to $17,236 for an individual or $29,435 for a family of three.
CHIP provides low-cost health plans to children up to the age of 19 whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid in their state. In some states, CHIP also covers pregnant women.
46 states plus the District of Columbia make CHIP eligible for children whose families earn up to or above 200% of the Federal Poverty level. This translates to $50,200 for a family of four.
24 of those states offer CHIP eligibility to children in families who earn up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. This translates to $62,750 for a family of four.
You can contact a member of the HealthSherpa Consumer Advocate Team to see if you might be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. The Consumer Advocate Team can be reached at (872) 228-2549.