4 Easy Steps to Enroll in Obamacare
Obamacare open enrollment for 2014 ends March 31, 2014. Have you signed up? If you’ve been procrastinating your enrollment, don’t despair — House Call Doctor will teach you how to sign up in 4 easy steps.
In last week’s episode, How Will Obamacare Affect You, we discussed the details of the new Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as “Obamacare”) and how it will affect millions of Americans in their ability to obtain health insurance.
Whether you are currently insured or not, it’s important to learn how the new healthcare law will affect you and your family. For all the details, make sure to read or listen to that podcast to learn more.
Open enrollment for the 2014 year ends March 31, 2014. That means, if you do not enroll by this date, you not only will be required to pay the tax penalty, but you will also be left without coverage until 2015. And if you want coverage beginning April 1, you must enroll by March 15.
If you’ve been procrastinating this entire time, you are not alone – it is all very confusing to many of us, including those of us in healthcare. But it’s now getting down to the wire and we need to buckle down and finally figure out how to sign up. Don’t despair – I will discuss exactly what you need to do to enroll in 4 easy steps.
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Step #1: Find Your State’s Marketplace
Step 1 is the most time-consuming – it requires you to find your state’s marketplace website and do some homework while researching your health insurance plan options. You can find your state’s specific website at www.healthcare.gov.
How much will health insurance coverage cost your family? This is the burning question most of you may want to know, and you can find the answer by perusing your state’s marketplace website without officially signing up. At the same time, they’ve made it easy to also find out if you qualify for Medicaid or federal financial assistance to help pay your monthly premiums, as well. The only information you will need to provide in order to find your plan options and cost are:
- Number of people in the household
- Their ages
- Your household income
- Your zip code
That’s it! No questions about your health, what pre-existing health conditions you may have, what medications you take – none of that. Just answer those four simple questions, and you can find out what your choices are and how much it will cost you and your family to get insured.
States will offer various levels of health coverage options (4 to be exact – bronze, silver, gold, platinum) that you may purchase. You can compare them side-by-side on the marketplace website. They all provide the 10 essential “required” services I discussed in my last episode, however, they differ in terms of premiums and co-pays.
The bronze option will have the lowest monthly premium, but also the highest co-pay for any used services – so for those who rarely see the doctor, this may suffice. But if you tend to see the doctor frequently and/or have regular prescriptions, a higher level category may be something to consider so that you pay a higher premium but lower co-pays each time you use a service. You’ll have to think about and decide what’s right for you and your family.
Step #2: Create an Account
On your state-specific marketplace website, there should be an “Apply” link somewhere easily visible (likely on the home page). Here, they’ll ask you for some basic information, like your name, date of birth, social security number, contact information, along with some security questions to create a secure online account. Make sure to choose a strong password so no one else can log into the system as you. My colleague Tech Talker has an excellent episode on how to create and manage strong passwords.
Step #3: File an Application
Once you’ve created an online account, you will need to file an official application. This will require the following documents for each of your household members:
- Social security numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants)
- Income and Employer information (from W2 forms or pay stubs)
- Current health policy numbers and information (if any) for anyone with current coverage
- A completed “Employer Coverage Tool” form for anyone in the household who is eligible for a job-based plan (even if you have chosen not to enroll): this form can also be found online at Healthcare.gov Marketplace Application Checklistopens PDF file
.
Step #4: Enroll
After you’ve selected a plan and have enrolled, make sure to contact the health insurance company you have selected in order to arrange your first payment. The marketplace is not designed to accept premium payments, as this must be set up through the insurer.
There are two other ways to enroll if online is not the most convenient for you:
- By phone: 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY: 1-855-889-4325)
- By mail: You can download the application, print it, and mail it in.
I know this all sounds pretty confusing, but it’s actually a lot easier than you think. So don’t delay. You must enroll by March 31, 2014 in order to have coverage in 2014. Otherwise, you must wait until the next open-enrollment period in October 2014 for coverage for 2015 (and pay the full penalty for 2014).
Those who already have health insurance coverage that complies with the 10 requirements don’t need to do anything.
Share your ideas and learn more quick and dirty tips with us on the House Call Doctor’s Facebook and Twitter pages! You can even find me on Pinterest!
Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.
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About the Author
Dr. Sanaz Majd is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Her special interests are women’s health and patient education.
