Home SCC: The time is now to shop for, enroll in health insurance coverage
Virginia

SCC: The time is now to shop for, enroll in health insurance coverage

Contributors
health insurance
(© thanksforbuying – stock.adobe.com)

Virginia consumers can sign up for health insurance coverage or make changes to an existing plan now through HealthCare.gov in the open enrollment period that ends Jan. 15.

For coverage to begin on Jan. 1, 2023, consumers must enroll at HealthCare.gov/get-coverage by midnight on Dec. 15. Enrollments occurring on Dec. 16 and through Jan. 15 will be for coverage starting Feb. 1, 2023, according to information from the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Open enrollment is the only time during the year consumers can enroll in coverage without a qualifying life event that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period.

For 2023, enhanced premium credits have been continued, and more Virginians will now be eligible for financial assistance. The federal government recently finalized a new rule that financial assistance available to family members of certain workers whose employer-provided insurance may not be affordable for spouses and dependents.

Health insurance plans sold through the federal marketplace, known as Qualified Health Plans, must provide coverage for 10 essential health benefits that include:

·  Ambulatory care
·  Emergency services
·  Hospitalization
·  Maternity and newborn care
·  Mental health, behavioral health and substance use disorder services
·  Prescription drugs
·  Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
·  Laboratory services
·  Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
·  Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

These Qualified Health Plans also prohibit denials for pre-existing conditions, require zero copays on preventive care, and have no lifetime maximums on covered benefits.

Through HealthCare.gov, Virginia residents can access financial assistance to lower costs for health insurance for plan year 2023.

For coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2023, there are now at least two health carriers participating in the marketplace in every county and region across the Commonwealth.

To begin an application or to make changes to existing coverage, consumers can visit HealthCare.gov or contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596, TTY: 1-855-889-4325.

For free in-person or online help, or help over the phone, Virginia residents have several options:

Virginia is on track to complete the transition to a Virginia-based health insurance marketplace by fall of 2023.

To learn more about the Virginia Exchange or to obtain additional contact information, visit the SCC Exchange website at HBE Consumer Contact.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.