If you haven’t enrolled in a health insurance plan in 2022, it’s not too late. Open enrollment doesn’t end in most states until January 15th. That means you still have ten days to find a provider and get a health plan. If you don’t know where to start, one of the best ways to get the right health insurance policy is to consult your health insurance broker at Insurance Enterprise.
The good news is that even if you haven’t signed up for a health plan, you can still get a quality health insurance plan from a private health insurance provider in your state. Private companies do not follow the open enrollment calendar. You can get coverage from a provider any time throughout the year.
What Is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is the yearly period in the fall when you can enroll in a health insurance plan for the next calendar year. Open Enrollment for 2022 runs from November 1 through January 15, 2022. Outside the Open Enrollment Period, you generally can enroll in a health insurance plan only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
In 2022, open enrollment was extended to January 15th in many states due to COVID-19, offering coverage to more people who may have been affected by the pandemic. So, it’s still not too late to sign up for a plan. However, before you enroll in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan, you may want to talk to your health insurance broker about what plans are available outside of the ACA programs.
What Is the Special Enrollment Period?
The special enrollment period is outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance. You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you’ve had certain life events, including
- Losing health coverage
- Moving
- Getting married
- Having a baby
- Adopting a child.
Depending on your Special Enrollment Period type, you may have 60 days before or 60 days following the event to enroll in a plan. You can enroll in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at any time.
Do I Have to Enroll in ACA Health Insurance?
The answer is no. You do not have to enroll in ACA health insurance. Private health insurance refers to any health insurance coverage offered by a private entity instead of a state or federal government. Insurance brokers and companies both fall into this category. There are private health insurance plans you can enroll in throughout the year.
Some private health insurance plans offer benefits that meet the minimum essential coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). Other plans might offer different benefits, such as short-term or catastrophic coverage.
These plans may not count as private health insurance options, such as short-term and catastrophic plans, which may offer different benefits. Still, they may not count as a qualified health plan under the Affordable Care Act.
Types of private insurance
Another difference between public and private insurance is the various types of available private insurance plans.
- Enroll in a group plan through an employer.
- Select your private plan through licensed agents at Insurance Enterprise.
- Enroll in catastrophic coverage if you qualify.
- Choose short-term coverage if you are between plans.
The type of coverage available to you depends on the health insurance company in your state. You can qualify for various plans that may not be available throughout the year in the marketplace.
Enroll In Private Health Insurance Throughout the Year
Unlike ACA health insurance, you can enroll in private health insurance throughout the year through your health insurance broker. Before you enroll, keep the following items in mind:
- These plans meet all the health care law requirements, including covering pre-existing conditions, providing free preventive care, and not capping annual benefits. If you have one of these plans, you won’t have to pay the fee that people without coverage must pay through the 2018 plan year.
- The Marketplace doesn’t list or offer these plans. The only way you can enroll in a health plan through the Marketplace outside Open Enrollment is if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
- You can find these plans through insurance companies, agents, brokers, and online health insurance sellers. If you buy a plan outside the Marketplace any time, during Open Enrollment or not, you can’t get premium tax credits or other savings based on your income.
Contact Insurance Enterprise for Premier Health Insurance
If you have questions about group or individual health insurance and need health insurance quotes, contact Insurance Enterprise at 888-350-6605. Speak to a licensed agent and find out more about how you can get an affordable health insurance plan.