Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Obamacare Q&A: Switching insurance plans, February deadlines and free coverage

  • Health
  • by Arielle Levin Becker
  • January 21, 2014
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

In today’s Obamacare Q&A: How to switch exchange insurance plans, when February premiums are due, and what you need to do if you qualify for a plan with a $0 premium.

If you have a question about the health law you’d like addressed, email Mirror Health Reporter Arielle Levin Becker at alevinbecker@ctmirror.org.

I signed up for insurance through the exchange but am not happy with it. Can I switch to another insurance company?

You can, for now, but you’ll have to follow certain rules.

People who buy plans through the exchange can switch to different plans until the end of the open enrollment period, which runs through March 31, according to Chad Brooker, a policy and legal analyst for Access Health CT, the state’s exchange. Customers can change from one insurer to another, or select a different type of plan, such as one that requires you to pay less out-of-pocket when getting care, or one that requires higher out-of-pocket costs but has a lower premium.

There are three rules to know: You must request the switch by the 15th of a month for the change start at the beginning of the following month. Your current insurer must get 14 days’ notice that you’re dropping its plan. And once the open enrollment period ends, you won’t be allowed to change plans unless you have a specific reason, such as if your income or household status changes in a way that affects your eligibility for financial assistance with your premiums or cost-sharing.

To make a switch, you can call the Access Health call center (1-855-805-4325). They’ll let the old and new plans know about the change.

The deadlines for making the changes are the same as the deadlines for enrolling in a plan. If you tell Access Health by Feb. 15 that you want to change plans, the change will take effect March 1. After that, any changes wouldn’t take effect until April 1 at the earliest. If you request a change after March 15, it will take effect May 1.

The 14-day rule is most important for people who decide to drop a plan without signing up for another one. In that situation, your coverage would end after two weeks. Depending on the timing, you could be required to pay another premium bill before the plan terminates. If you ask to drop your plan on Jan. 27, for example, you’d be covered until Feb. 10. That means you’d have to pay your February premium. Carriers have the option of refunding you for the portion of February that you’re not covered, but they don’t have to, Brooker said.

If you’re planning to drop a plan without signing up for a new one, you can do it through Access Health or through the insurance company directly.

So far, the exchange has had some requests to switch plans, but not an “overwhelming” number, CEO Kevin Counihan said.

What is payment deadline for February premiums?

The deadline is Jan. 31.

Exchange customers got extra time to pay their January premiums this year. But as of now, the insurers selling individual coverage through the exchange have not extended their February payment deadlines.

For Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield customers, the deadline for January coverage is also Jan. 31. That means that those customers’ January and February premiums are due by the same day.

Going forward, premiums for each month will be due by the final day of the month before.

I signed up for insurance through the exchange but don’t have to pay a premium because my income is low. What do I need to do to start coverage? Do I need to send a check for $0 to the insurance company?

You don’t have to send anything to your insurance company. You should get an insurance card in the mail without sending in anything, according to each of the companies selling individual-market plans through the exchange.

If you’re a HealthyCT customer, you’ll get an invoice for $0 in the mail, but you don’t have to send in anything. The invoice is part of the company’s system for generating the ID card, which will be mailed to you.

People can get plans with no premiums if their income is low and the amount of federal financial assistance they qualify for to buy insurance exceeds the cost of the plan they want to buy. For more on people considering no-premium plans, click here.

Previous Q&As:

Can I get a tax credit for buying an insurance plan outside the exchange?

What are the deadlines for buying insurance through the exchange?

What happens if I lose my insurance in 2014 after the open enrollment period is over?

Will I be penalized if I go five months without insurance?

End-of-year coverage deadlines

How should I cancel an old policy?

What happens if you don’t have coverage Jan. 1?

What happens once you enroll through Access Health CT?

Are there new options under Obamacare for getting family coverage if my employer-sponsored plan is too expensive?

Will my kids lose HUSKY coverage if I buy discounted insurance through the exchange?
If I don’t get insurance, how will they come after me?

Are the deductibles on a family plan for each person or for everyone?

Is dental coverage included in the exchange plans?

Should I Consider the exchange if I’m on Medicare?

What should I do when applying for coverage if my income is erratic?

Can a small employer buy coverage for workers through the individual market?

What if I’ve been denied coverage in the past?

Do I need to buy additional coverage if I already have a plan?

What if I lose my job?

I qualify for free insurance through the exchange. Is it worth it?

Exchange insurance prices, explained

Which doctors are covered by exchange plans?

Can people still contribute to health savings accounts?

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arielle Levin Becker

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Grocery store workers ‘disgusted’ with Lamont’s new COVID-19 vaccine policy
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Grocery store workers are frustrated with Gov. Ned Lamont, who is no longer prioritizing them in the coronavirus vaccination schedule.

Breaking with national recommendations, Lamont says Connecticut’s vaccine rollout will now be prioritized by age
by Jenna Carlesso and Keith M. Phaneuf

People aged 55 to 64 will be next in line for the vaccine.

Medicare cuts payment to 774 hospitals over patient complications
by Jordan Rau | Kaiser Health News

Six Connecticut hospitals are cited in 2021.

Why we can’t make vaccine doses any faster
by Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson | ProPublica

Vaccine supply chains are extremely specialized and sensitive, relying on expensive machinery, highly trained staff and finicky ingredients.

Boston Fed chief predicts strong economic recovery begins in 2nd half of 2021 if vaccine reaches enough people
by Keith M. Phaneuf

A strong economic rebound also depends on states helping those hit hardest by COVID-19, a federal reserve official said.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Better rail service will boost Naugatuck Valley economy
by Kara Rochelle

For residents of the Naugatuck Valley, whether you ride the train or not, increased rail service will directly and positively affect your life. Increased and reliable rail service means increases in property values.

Opinion Why a Connecticut family foundation is funding the national movement for Black lives
by William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Board and Staff

The last several years have thrust racial injustice against Black people not only into the media spotlight, but also into our emerging public consciousness about the continued consequences of our nation’s legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation.

Opinion Statewide standardized testing this Spring: To what end?
by Christopher E. Trombly

Despite many challenges, Congressional committees in both houses remain steadfast in their belief that state standardized testing should be administered this spring.  They cite the recent announcement that NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) testing will not be conducted this year as adding to this “moral imperative.” Better would be for state departments of education to use the myriad data that administrators and teachers have naturally collected since March to allocate resources that will allow for student learning to be recovered, and for historic structural inequities to be addressed at long last.

Opinion Felons and non-citizens on Connecticut juries? Not a good idea
by Steven Wilf

A move is afoot to extend the privilege of sitting on a jury to released felons and non-citizen long-term residents. According to a recent report, supported by Connecticut Chief Justice Richard Robinson, making this change would increase Black and Latinx representation. This is a laudatory goal. But it undermines the very foundations of jury participation as a key aspect of citizenship.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO