The secret is out! Open Enrollment isn’t limited to a 45-day period, at the end of each year. Enrollment is actually open every single day of the year!
Well, let’s actually clarify that…
There are certain plans that are only available during “Open Enrollment,” and those are the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Healthcare Marketplace Plans, off-exchange plans, and employer plans. The employer plans have an enrollment period that differs per company, while the Marketplace plans are usually restricted to a 45-day period (unless there are special circumstances that extend the deadline). Off-exchange plans have a strict start and stop date (January 1 – December 31), so their enrollment window is strict as well.
As a Health and Life Insurance Broker, I have access to plans 365 days per year, with enrollment options as quick as the next day. Here’s why that matters:
- When employer or Marketplace don’t pan out, my pans help bridge the gap until next Open Enrollment.
- We’re all human and many humans wait until the last minute to make decisions, and sometimes that can flow past the deadline. You still need health insurance, right?
- Once the employer plans reveal the benefits and cost, it might be more cost-effective to insure the family outside of the employer plans. There’s really no discount or good reason to keep everybody together on a plan, for the sake of being “together.” Do what’s best for you and your family.
- Plans, on the individual market, prove to be more cost-effective (in most cases) and also gives more control over treatment and caters to flexible lifestyles, compared to employer and Marketplace plans.
There’s nothing wrong with exploring your options, so let’s do that together! At the end of the day, you’ll gain access to an insurance expert who is on a mission to serve every patient (as an advocate). With so much happening in Washington, the laws and regulations changing daily (it feels like), there’s no reason to try and learn what the experts immerse themselves in daily. Find someone you can count on and make this system work for you!
Did you miss the deadline or want to explore your options?