负担得起的医疗保险是触手可及的

朱莉·埃斯特利克

Rosie Duran thought she’d pretty much seen it all in over 15 years of helping people in Larimer County find affordable health insurance or enroll in Medicaid coverage. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and suddenly families were facing unexpected challenges in a topsy-turvy world.

兼顾远程教育和工作, 关闭, 裁员, fears about catching and spreading disease—it’s enough to keep anyone up at night. Making sure you have health insurance might have gotten pushed down the list, 但随着1月15日开放注册计划的结束, Duran argues it’s one thing that you can control and will help bring some peace of mind in these difficult times.

“COVID-19对我们所有人来说都很艰难, but it’s never been more important to have good health insurance coverage in case you or a family member gets sick, 或者发生意外,杜兰说。, 拉里默健康连接(LHC)团队主管, a project of the 网上博彩澳门银河 that provides free help in choosing the right plan that meets each family’s health needs and budget, 包括潜在的财政援助.

3月以来, LHC team members—who are all state-certified Health Coverage Guides—have met with clients over video and phone, 为那些无法使用电脑的人提供一些面对面的预约. 在开放招生期间，他们一直很忙, the period when you can purchase a private insurance plan on Connect for Health Colorado, 本州的医疗保险市场. You can still sign up outside of the open enrollment period if you have certain life change events such as losing health insurance coverage from a job, 移动, 结婚, or having a baby that may qualify you for your own Special Enrollment Period (SEP), or if you qualify for Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), 没有截止日期.

呆了

即使你失业了, it’s important to investigate your health insurance options so you aren’t caught with large medical bills if the unexpected happens. A survey by the state’s Department of Labor and the Department of Health Care Policy & 融资 found that about 20 percent of people receiving unemployment benefits had no health insurance, 或者预计会失去保险, and of those uninsured individuals a whopping 46 percent planned to go without coverage.

在这些充满压力的时候, many health insurance plans include coverage for COVID-19 testing and treatment, 心理健康预约, 和药物. A trip to urgent care or the emergency room for a family member is cheaper if you have insurance. 即使在预算紧张的情况下，保险费用也可能没有你想象的那么高.

“很多人对自己有资格获得经济援助感到惊讶, 使他们能够负担得起通过市场购买保险,杜兰说.

There are different types and levels of plans available from several insurance companies, she notes. 例如, Cigna returned to Larimer County as an insurance provider in the state marketplace for 2021 with lower cost plan options, 加入Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, 以及科罗拉多州的周五健康计划.

您是否需要市场网站方面的帮助, 需要帮助比较方案, 或者只是不明白某些保险条款的意思, 拉里默健康连接是一个很好的资源. 2020年，大型强子对撞机团队发现了至少100个新客户, 杜兰预计他们将达到1美元的目标,在开放注册期间预约200人.

我会失去医疗补助吗?

Quarantines and 关闭 due to the spread of COVID-19 have created chaos in our daily lives. 政府已经从不确定性和损失中提供了一些帮助, including making sure health insurance is available for Americans living on little to no income during the global health crisis.

近300,000 Coloradans are “locked-in” to their government Medicaid plan under the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) order for COVID-19 issued by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human 服务 Alex Azar at the start of the pandemic, 这意味着一旦一个人注册了，他们就不能被丢弃了, 即使他们的收入超过了规定, 除非他们搬到别的州或者退出这个项目. 在17日,该命令覆盖了拉里默县的000名居民, which is set to expire on January 20—although state health officials expect to do a thorough review before anyone’s coverage is terminated. Secretary Azar could also extend the order, which he’s already done three times.

“虽然我们有大约290个,000名科罗拉多人目前被锁定, 我们不认为所有人都会失去保险,Marivel Klueckman说, 科罗拉多州卫生保健政策部门的资格主任 & 融资. “由于新冠疫情对经济的影响, we anticipate that at least half will meet the guidelines and be eligible for Medicaid again.”

Reassessment of a member’s enrollment could take up to 90 days, she estimates. 在那之后, if you no longer qualify you would receive a “notice of action” with the exact date of termination—which would be mailed to your home address unless you opted for email or text messages from Health First Colorado. Klueckman stresses that it’s important to keep your Colorado PEAK account updated with current contact information, and to report any changes in income now versus waiting until the emergency ends.

还记得, 如果你是一个有工作的成年人，如果你赚17美元，你仍然有资格享受医疗补助,1万美元或更少, 或者大约1美元,400 per month for an individual; $34,800 or $2,一家四口900美元. There is also a buy-in program for people above the regular income guidelines that allows those working at some capacity and living with chronic health conditions or a disability to purchase coverage, 即使他们有雇主提供的医疗保险. 医疗补助计划可以作为符合条件的人的第二保险.

Anyone who is dropped from Medicaid coverage following the PHE would qualify for a 60-day Special Enrollment Period to purchase a plan on the state marketplace and may find they are eligible for tax subsidies and lower costs, Klueckman补充道.

如果你有一份工作，但你的雇主不提供保险, Duran advises purchasing a plan during Open Enrollment that works with your budget, because if you are laid off and didn’t already have health coverage you won’t qualify for the SEP and will have to wait until the fall to shop on the marketplace for 2022 coverage (unless you qualify for Medicaid/CHP+, 全年开放注册).

老实说:2020年对每个人来说都是疯狂的一年. 如果你推迟选择健康保险计划, 或者回顾去年的计划，以确保它仍然是最好的选择, 杜兰和她的团队随时准备提供帮助.

With just a few days left until the state’s 1月15日 deadline for Open Enrollment, 拉里默健康连接将在周六举办两次电话活动, 1月9日, 和周五, 1月15日. 那些日子不需要预约，打电话就可以了 970-472-0444 (时间见保存日期框).

Duran sums it up best: “If you have any questions about health insurance or need help understanding all the options available, 请给我们打电话. 不要在2021年没有保险!”