Your Quick Guide to the 2022 Open Enrollment Period

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Your Quick Guide to the 2022 Open Enrollment Period


The Affordable Care Act (ACA) ensures that each one eligible Americans get a possibility annually to purchase inexpensive well being protection for themselves and their households. This is named Open Enrollment Period, and this 12 months it’s from November 1st to January fifteenth in most states. 97% of individuals on HealthSherpa qualify for a subsidy, and most pay lower than $10/month for protection. 

The ACA additionally ensures that each one plans accessible on the Marketplace provide the next key client protections:

7 Consumer Protections Under the Affordable Care Act

For 2022, the Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1 via January 15, 2022 in most states.

Coverage bought by December fifteenth will start on January 1, 2022, and protection bought December 16 – January 15 will start February 1, 2022.

You can store accessible plans and examine costs right here or enter your zip code beneath to see accessible plans.

Who is eligible to buy throughout Open Enrollment?

Not certain in the event you’re eligible to store the Marketplace for an Obamacare plan? Good information: Most persons are!

If you’re a U.S. citizen, nationwide or authorized resident of the United States who presently resides within the U.S., you’re certified to buy the Marketplace. This contains inexperienced card holders, refugees, asylees, and people with non-immigrant standing who’ve a legitimate employee visa. 

The solely exceptions? If you’re presently enrolled in Medicare or presently incarcerated. 

Grab our free step-by-step information to enrolling in Marketplace protection to study extra.

Keep in thoughts that in case you are provided ACA-compliant medical health insurance by your employer and select to opt-out of it and as a substitute buy your personal Obamacare plan, you normally gained’t be eligible for any subsidies and might want to pay full worth to your month-to-month premiums. Because of this, you probably have entry to medical health insurance protection via your employer, we advocate you make the most of that as a substitute of the Marketplace, until your employer insurance coverage prices greater than 9.61% of your family earnings.

You can store accessible plans and examine plan premiums right here. Enrolling on HealthSherpa solely takes a median of quarter-hour.

During Open Enrollment Period, anybody who’s eligible can enroll in a Marketplace well being plan. The remainder of the 12 months is named Special Enrollment Period (SEP), and also you’ll want a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) akin to shedding your well being protection, having a toddler, getting married, or one other change in family measurement or well being protection.

When can I store the Marketplace throughout Open Enrollment?

In most states, Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1st, 2021 to January 15, 2022.  Some states, nevertheless, have prolonged their Open Enrollment Period. This implies that anybody dwelling in these states could have further time to enroll. Regardless of which state you reside in, you may store for a 2022 plan at any level throughout Open Enrollment.

So far for the 2022 OEP, the next states have Open Enrollment Periods ending the next dates:

  • California: January 31, 2022
  • Colorado: January 15, 2022
  • Connecticut: December 15, 2021
  • District of Columbia: January 31, 2022
  • Idaho: December 15, 2021
  • Maryland: December 15, 2021
  • Massachusetts: January 23, 2022
  • Minnesota: December 15, 2021
  • Nevada: January 15, 2022
  • New York: January 31, 2022
  • Rhode Island: December 15, 2021
  • Vermont: December 15, 2021
  • Washington: January 15, 2022
  • New Jersey: January 31, 2022
  • Pennsylvania: January 15, 2022

We will replace this record as some other states announce prolonged Open Enrollment Periods. 

Will I’ve to pay a superb if I don’t have medical health insurance in 2022?

Congress repealed the penalty for having medical health insurance in 2018. That means in most states, you gained’t must pay a superb in the event you go with out protection in 2022. 

However, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and DC have handed their very own particular person mandate, which means you could have to pay a penalty to the state in the event you go with out protection for a sure time period. 

In any case, it’s a good suggestion to have medical health insurance—medical debt is the #1 purpose individuals give for submitting for chapter.

What do I would like after I’m able to enroll?

You’ll want some fundamental info on-hand to get began with the Open Enrollment course of. 

First, you’ll want to supply details about your family, together with family measurement (together with anybody you declare in your tax return). For every of those individuals, you’ll want some fundamental info like start dates, house addresses, and social safety numbers.

Additionally, you’ll want details about your greatest estimate to your 2022 earnings, info on the way you file your taxes you probably have a partner, details about your sources of earnings, and coverage numbers from any present medical health insurance plans. 

A be aware on immigration standing

Although you’re offering details about each member of your tax family, you don’t have to supply immigration standing until you your self are making use of for protection. If you don’t have a social safety quantity, you additionally don’t want to supply this in your Marketplace software. It’s vital to know that details about immigration standing collected by the Marketplace is rigorously protected and can not be used for immigration enforcement. More typically, by legislation the private info that you just present on this way can solely be used to find out your eligibility for protection and to enroll you in a plan, and should be saved securely. 

If anybody in your family is a Permanent Resident, you’ll want their Resident Alien (A-number) prepared. Typically, you’ll simply have to enter the quantity, however it’s possible you’ll have to add the doc so have it able to scan in case you want it. 

You can discover out about what paperwork you’ll need for different eligible immigration statuses right here

What if I have already got a plan from final 12 months?

If you had Marketplace medical health insurance in 2021, you may be mechanically re-enrolled in that plan for subsequent 12 months if that plan continues to be being provided. If that plan is now not accessible, you’ll be enrolled in an “equivalent” plan. Although that may sound like the best method to method OEP, it isn’t essentially your only option. In reality, individuals who who store and swap plans save an common of 38% on their month-to-month premiums.

Most insurers are increasing their protection areas this 12 months, which suggests there might be extra plans accessible to you. Without purchasing to check what plans, and financial savings, can be found to you this 12 months, your premium funds could enhance considerably. Plan particulars can change from 12 months to 12 months, too, which means that prescription protection, supplier networks, and protection advantages may change even in the event you hold the identical plan. By purchasing the Marketplace, you’ll discover out what sorts of obtainable plans may greatest fit your wants for the approaching 12 months, and what price financial savings you may be eligible for with these plans. It solely takes a couple of minutes to store and examine your choices, and this could hold you from paying extra later. 

What about subsidies, cost-sharing reductions, and tax credit?

Many Americans are eligible to save lots of on their medical health insurance prices on account of the Affordable Care Act. In reality, 97% of individuals on HealthSherpa qualify for a subsidy, and most pay lower than $10/month for protection. 

Depending in your earnings, you may additionally qualify for Cost Sharing Reductions (CSR), that are particular financial savings built-in to Silver-level Marketplace plans for individuals who earn between 100 and 250% of the federal poverty restrict. These CSRs restrict and cut back out-of-pocket prices like copays and deductibles. 

Remember that in case you are married and don’t file taxes collectively along with your partner, you’ll not be eligible for any subsidies or CSRs within the Marketplace. 

How do I sign-up for Marketplace insurance coverage throughout Open Enrollment?

Want to enroll in Marketplace insurance coverage for 2022 however undecided the place to begin? We have a step-by-step breakdown of the best way to store the Marketplace and what that course of seems like right here

In brief, you may self-enroll on-line, have a Consumer Advocate aid you over the telephone, discover native, in-person help, or full and mail-in a paper software. 

Applying on-line via HealthSherpa, a licensed enrollment companion of the federal government, is easy and easy. If you’re unfamiliar with HealthSherpa, know that we provide all the similar plans at the very same costs as Well beingCare.gov, the federal government’s enrollment website. The distinction? We provide a less complicated enrollment course of, an internet site that’s simpler to make use of, and have an exceptional Consumer Advocate workforce on-hand that will help you at every step alongside the way in which. Reachable by telephone, e mail, and on-line chat, our Consumer Advocate Team are right here to assist each earlier than and after you join your new Obamacare plan. Our advocates are licensed medical health insurance consultants with a background in advocacy, not salespeople. 

It solely takes a median of round quarter-hour to finish an software on HealthSherpa, versus a median of 56 minutes when utilizing Healthcare.gov.

Of course you probably have any questions earlier than Open Enrollment begins or would really like help in selecting a plan, please be at liberty to name our Consumer Advocate Team anytime at (872) 228-2549. We’re right here that will help you navigate the Open Enrollment Period course of and discover the absolute best plan to your wants. 

You can see plans and costs, and see how a lot monetary aid you’re eligible for, by getting into your zip beneath.

What about different protection choices like Medicare and Medicaid?

You can apply for Medicaid year-round right here—there’s no want to attend for an Open Enrollment Period. You can apply for Medicaid right here.

If you’d prefer to enroll in Medicare, you’ll turn out to be eligible three months earlier than your sixty fifth birthday, and it’s possible you’ll turn out to be eligible earlier you probably have sure disabilities. You can study extra about Medicare and apply right here.

If you’re already enrolled in a Medicare plan and also you’d prefer to make adjustments to it, Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7. During this annual enrollment interval (AEP), you may make adjustments to your protection, akin to swap between Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa.

If you may have any questions or have to enroll in Medicare, give our Consumer Advocate Team a name at (872) 228-2549



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