Open enrollment for the 2019 Federal Health Insurance Exchange has opened and runs through Dec. 15.
The exchange helps provide health insurance to those who do not have it through another source like a workplace, Medicare or Medicaid. Those who have Medicare are not eligible to use the exchange to buy a health or dental plan.
To enroll in or change Affordable Care Act health insurance policies for 2019, participants should go online to healthcare.gov. This is the system often known as Obamacare, so named for the president in office when it began.
“It is imperative consumers who do not have health insurance elsewhere take part in open enrollment to make sure they choose the best insurance plan to meet their needs and to determine if they qualify for tax subsidies, which can offset premium costs,” Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said in a news release.
Eligibility for advanced premium tax credit subsidies is determined through the enrollment process.
The state’s largest insurer, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina, has plans available in all 100 counties of the state, while CIGNA Healthcare of North Carolina has plans available in Orange, Chatham, Wake, Johnston and Nash counties.
A new company, Ambetter of North Carolina, was also approved for operation on the exchange for 2019. The company has plans available for Wake and Durham counties.
After Dec. 15, North Carolinians may only enroll in an insurance plan through the exchange if they qualify for a special enrollment period. Criteria for qualification include having or adopting a child, losing health coverage or moving to a different service area.
Consumer specialists within the N.C. Department of Insurance are available to answer questions about health insurance during ACA open enrollment. Call 855-408-1212.
“The N.C. Department of Insurance is in full support of giving consumers broad access to quality, affordable health care,” Causey said. “We are doing our best to maintain a stable health insurance market that provides new products and more choices.”
The N.C. Navigator Consortium, led by Legal Aid of North Carolina, is also helping residents with enrollment. Its representatives are available at a number of locations to answer questions and help residents complete the enrollment process. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 855-733-3711 or by registering online at getcoveredamerica.org/Connector.
The sites this week include Bladen County Works Center, 401 Mercer Mill Road in Elizabethtown; Garland Senior Center, 91 Church St. in Garland; Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Building, 7239 Old Lake Road in Bolton; Trinity Episcopal Church, 1202 N. Chestnut St. in Lumberton; and Legal Aid of North Carolina’s office at 101 E. 2nd St. in Pembroke.
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