Today is the big day, folks! Don’t let the government shutdown fool you – Obamacare enrollment is up and running and that means benefits you’re not going to want to miss out on are finally available! You can check out the plans and enroll at healthcare.gov RIGHT NOW.
10. Because You Can.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a provision stating that no longer can a person be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions nor can they be charged more merely because of gender.
9. Because It’s Affordable.
19-34 year olds are most likely to be uninsured because of the cost of healthcare insurance. Insurance plans in the exchange equal out to be $100 or less a month for half of those who are uninsured and eligible for this new insurance option. This is because of Federal subsidies that are offered to people within 400% to 100% of the poverty level and also due to expansion of Medicaid, which some states are choosing to reject. (More on that and which states have accepted the expansion here.)
8. Because It’s Easy.
The insurance exchange is open now – and if you have Internet access (which, since you’re reading this, it seems you do), you can enroll in a couple of clicks on healthcare.gov and have coverage starting January 1, 2014. Each state has the choice to create their own exchange or utilize one the Federal Government has provided, all of which can be accessed right there. If your state has created it’s own exchange, healthcare.gov will forward you onto your states’ site – or you can check your state’s status here.
7. Because No One Plans to Get Sick.
Accidents by definition are unintentional; the point of insurance is to share the burden of cost for those (hopefully rare) times when medical care is required.
6. Because It Will Cost You to Be Uninsured.
The penalty for being uninsured on your 2014 taxes is $95 or 1% of your income – whichever is higher – increasing to the maximum of 2.5% or $695 in 2016. Why pay to miss out?
5. ‘Cause You Already Are, and That’s Great.
Under the Affordable Care Act, children can stay on their parents’ plan until the age of 26, even if you are not in school, living away from home or are married. Look into that before you enroll, although you can also decide to go with ACA coverage instead of your existing plan.
4. ‘Cause If You’re Not, There Are Many Options.
Each exchange is a supermall of insurance plans, giving you different options from multiple companies, levels of coverage and benefits to choose from. If your school has insurance but doesn’t offer dental or vision, you can get a stand-alone plan to cover those services.
3. Because Healthy Folks Keep the Costs Down For Everyone.
The point of the exchange is to offer a group insurance rate to people who aren’t offered insurance through their jobs or can’t afford their work’s insurance plans. Having people who use less services paying into the pot make the insurance premiums lower for everyone, helping share the cost of healthcare. You can do good in your community and in this country by enrolling just in case, and it’s completely smart to have coverage even if you’re not about to make ten doctor’s appointments.
2. Because Emergency Plans Exist.
If you don’t think you’ll use many healthcare services in a year but want emergency coverage (a trip to the Emergency room can cost you several thousand dollars), there are Catastrophic plans that offer 3 office visits a year and preventative care with a deductible of $6,400 per year.
1. Because Family Planning and Birth Control Are (Finally) Available For No Additional Cost.
All contraceptives are available with no co-pays under the Affordable Care Act no matter your insurance provider. These health services are also available with no extra charge: annual well-woman visits, contraceptive methods and counseling, testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV), counseling and screening for HIV, counseling for sexually transmitted infections, screening for gestational diabetes, breastfeeding support, supplies & counseling, screening and counseling for domestic and interpersonal violence, well-baby care, pap smears, and mammograms
It’s everything you’ve ever wanted and more – so don’t miss out. Get covered at healthcare.gov TODAY!