Special Enrollment Period

Special Enrollment Period

It’s Not Too Late If You Have a Life Event Coming Up

The final date to apply for open enrollment, effective January 1, 2019, in California was December 15, 2018. Though we are now past this period, you can still apply in the case that you are going through a life event. These life events can include marriage, divorce, aging out of a parents’ policy, loss of a job, moving/relocating or having a child.

In these instances, you can still purchase insurance outside of the enrollment period. You will have 30 days to withdraw from the day your other policy ends to enroll in a new plan of coverage in what’s called a Special Enrollment Period.

Special Enrollment Period

Here Are The Life Events That Will Qualify You For Such An Enrollment Exception:

Loss of health coverage

  • Loss of a job
  • Aging out of parents’ insurance plan at age 26
  • Losing eligibility for Medicaid, Medicare, or CHIP

Change in residence

  • Changing your zip code or county
  • A student moving from the place they attended school

Changes in your family

  • Marriage or divorce
  • Having or adopting a child
  • Death in the family

A significant change in income

  • Becoming a US citizen
  • Leaving prison or jail

These events will make you eligible for this special enrollment period wherein you can purchase insurance at the time of the event. Please contact us at Bernardini and Donovan for any questions you might have about obtaining coverage in the post-enrollment period.

Timeline of Your Healthcare

Healthcare Insurance Options

Healthcare Insurance Options

At the end of every year, we come to the holiday season. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas all play a significant part of how we spend our time. But along with these celebrations, we are also very aware of another season. Open Enrollment Season. For a short period, at the end of each year, there is an opportunity to change your health care insurance options.

If you are already enrolled in a particular program before the open enrollment period begins, your provider will contact you and tell you if there are going to be any changes to your benefits or your premiums. This is particularly important to know so that you can assess if you are happy enough to stay with your current provider or if it is time to change so that your needs are better met.

Then open enrollment starts

This year it opened on October 15. During this time you have access to sign up for health insurance coverage or change your current provider. It is important to note that your signup date does affect the start of your coverage date. If you sign up between October 15 to December 15, then your coverage will begin on January 1, 2019.

But open enrollment does not end on December 15th. It continues until January 15, 2019. So if you find yourself overwhelmed by the holiday season, and have no time to review your health care needs, do not be worried. You have until mid-January to finalize your plans! Of course, your start of coverage date will be different. If you sign up between December 16 to January 15, then your start date will be February 1, 2019.

At Bernardini & Donovan, we love to help you make the best choice possible for your health care insurance coverage. We will help walk you through the process, help you see what tax credits may be available to you and help you sign up. Please call us today to so that we can help you during open enrollment season!

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