As part of the new Affordable Health Care Act, consumers need to determine whether they are eligible for and want to find new health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Beginning Oct. 1, the website, HealthCare.gov will be the place to go to directly access the Health Insurance Marketplace. It will give Americans who are uninsured or who buy their own coverage a new way to shop for coverage.
Enrollment period begins Oct. 1 for effective date of January. Final deadline for enrollment is Dec. 7, to be eligible for January, 2014. If you complete the application after Dec. 7, you will be covered for Feb. 1.
Before you register, you need to understand your options and eligibilities. The best source for the latest and most accurate information about the Marketplace is the updated website, HealthCare.gov. For Spanish speaking consumers, CuidadoDeSalud.gov has also been updated.
Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez said new marketplace will provide new options for the residents of Camden County.
“The Affordable Care Act allows children to stay on their parents insurance until the age of 26, stops insurance companies from denying people for preexisting conditions and expands access to insurance for millions of Americans,” Rodriguez said. “These programs will improve the health and welfare of Camden County residents and give residents new options that did not exist previously.”
With the Marketplace, consumers will be able to go to one place and search for health coverage options and get accurate information in easy-to-understand language on different plans and be able to compare them. They will be able to get comprehensive information about benefits and quality, alongside facts about price before having to make a choice. Live web chats are available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
The site also has information on how the Health Insurance Marketplace will work, what the benefits will be, and what are the key deadlines. With the opening of a new toll-free call center, consumers can now call (800) 318–2596 to speak with a trained customer service representative 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Representatives will be available in English and Spanish, and there will be a language line to assist callers in more than 150 additional languages.
In addition to the toll free numbers and the online web chat, trained professionals will be working in communities to help with the application process for residents who need their help.
All health insurance plans offered on the Marketplace must cover a comprehensive set of benefits, including physician visits, preventive care, hospital stays and prescriptions. Plans must also treat everyone fairly. Discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be banned. Coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2014.
No matter where you live, consumers only need to fill out a single application on the Marketplace to:
Choose from the health care plans available in their area.
Learn if they qualify for programs like Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Find out if they qualify for lower costs on monthly premiums or out-of-pocket costs.
For more specific information, use these links:
Resources in other languages, including Chinese, French, French Creole, German, Hindi, Korean, Polish and many others go to: https://www.healthcare.gov/language-resource.
Get answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the health insurance marketplace and the healthcare law at: https://healthcare.gov/all-topics, or at: http://www.hhs.gov/partnerships/aca_act_and_community/index.html
To find out what is going on in New Jersey: Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, CHIP, Consumer Assistance Programs
Once you decide on a plan and complete your application, check receipt of application. After you click on submission, you should get a receipt back from the system.
We will continue to share updates on the program as we get more information. Use the widget and badge below to share the HealthCare.gov link with others.
The links, phone numbers and content presented here are for informational purposes only. Camden County is only providing contact information and links to federal government sites.
