Summer is flying by and it won’t be long until Open Enrollment begins for 2017.  In fact, now is the time to start thinking about your health insurance needs for the coming year and getting prepared.  For many North Carolinians, 2016 saw an increase in insurance premiums as well as changes in long-standing networks.  Enrollment issues with the federal Marketplace and customer service issues across the board left many BCBSNC members feeling weary and frustrated.  As insurance agents, we understand those frustrations.  Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC has worked tirelessly over the last few months to update information, improve communication, and meet the challenges presented by the ACA market.  On June 9th, BCBSNC President and CEO Brad Wilson told the News and Observer, “While some critics of the law are saying ‘I told you so,’ I believe we need to take a more constructive tone toward making sure the ACA is in fact sustainable for the long haul” (Read full article).

And that is just what Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is doing. (more…)

Open Enrollment 2017 begins November 1st and runs through January 31st, so if you are currently uninsured or need to make a plan change, you will be able to apply and obtain coverage in just a few months.  Open Enrollment will not begin until November 2016, but you can begin preparing even now. Although you cannot generate a quote with 2017 rates for a few more months, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself, as well as some important pieces of information you can gather so that you are ready to successfully navigate Open Enrollment 2017.

As you prepare, there are a few important things to consider:

• Are you looking for a policy for yourself or are you including family members on your policy?
• Do you think you will qualify for a government subsidy? (Subsidies determined by Modified Adjusted Gross Income and the number of people in your household).  Also, your subsidy will be based on projected 2017 income.
• What kind of BCBSNC health plan are you looking for?  Do you prefer a high deductible plan or something with co-payments?
• How important is the size of your network when it comes to health care providers in your area?

Also, remember that in order to secure an effective date of January 1st, you must complete your application by December 15th. (more…)

The final week of Open Enrollment has begun and with it, your final chance to enroll in Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina health insurance without experiencing a Qualifying Life Event.  If you are still uninsured, here are some very important things to keep in mind:

1. Under the Affordable Care Act, you are required by law to have health insurance.  If you do not have obtain health insurance for 2016, you will receive a tax penalty when you file your 2016 taxes, unless you have an exemption.  Tax penalties for 2016 have increased substantially.
2. In addition to receiving a tax penalty, if you are uninsured in 2016, you will be responsible for all of your routine and unexpected health care needs, which can quickly amount to thousands upon thousands of out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Applying for health insurance doesn’t have to be difficult.  We can help you choose a plan, discuss benefits and walk you through the enrollment process.  You can apply easily and quickly online or over the phone with one of our experienced agents.  Visit our website or call 888-765-5400.
4. Any coverage is better than zero coverage.  Even the least expensive plan available to you will provide you with coverage, including preventive care covered at 100%, and set a limit on your out-of-pocket expenses should you experience and illness or accident.  The least expensive Qualified Health Plan will also keep you from being penalized come tax time.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute!  The closer we get to the application deadline of January 31st, the more time-consuming and frustrating this process will become.  Deadlines often create technical issues and long wait times and can even keep you from submitting your application on time.
6. If you miss the January 31st deadline, you may not be able to enroll in health insurance until the next Open Enrollment, which will likely begin in November 2016.

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.

If you are like me, it probably seems like 2015 came and went in a flash!  Between the holidays and a new year, you may find yourself still not enrolled in health insurance.  If you missed the December 15th deadline for January 1st coverage and you also missed the January 15th deadline for February 1st coverage, you have yet another opportunity to enroll in health insurance for 2016! Open Enrollment will not officially end until January 31st and for the next 15 days, you can still submit an application and have coverage that will begin March 1st.  If you miss this deadline, however, you may be unable to enroll in a 2016 health insurance plan, which means not only will you be uninsured, you will likely incur a tax penalty.

Keep in mind that the 2016 tax penalty has increased to $695 per person or 2.5% of your annual individual income, whichever is greater.

The good news is you can still submit an application online in as little as ten minutes and if you are applying through the federal Marketplace, we are happy to assist you in submitting your application over the phone.  Give us a call at 888-765-5400.  We can assist you in choosing the plan that best suits your family’s needs and help you determine whether or not you qualify for a federal subsidy to help reduce the cost of your health plan.  Don’t let another year go by without obtaining health insurance for you and your family!

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.

If you are still uninsured and trying to secure health coverage for 2016, your application must be submitted by midnight January 15th in order to qualify for a February 1st effective date (some exceptions apply).  Although Open Enrollment will not officially end until January 31st, 2016, you do not want to miss this important deadline!  In fact, if you fail to submit your application by January 15, 2016, in most cases you will not be eligible for health coverage to begin until March 1st and you will remain without health coverage throughout the month of February. (more…)

Open Enrollment officially ends January 31st, 2015 and after that date, you may not be able to enroll until the next AEP (Annual Enrollment Period), which will likely begin November, 2016.  If you have not yet enrolled in a health insurance policy for 2016, you still have time to do so, but don’t wait!  As the end of January approaches, it will become increasingly difficult to get through to the Federal Marketplace or submit applications online.  Due to high volume around effective date deadlines, very often these websites experience technical issues and you would be wise to complete your application a few days prior.

This is especially true if you are applying for a federal subsidy.  Due to the number of people trying to contact the Marketplace, you may have to wait on hold for hours at a time just to speak to a representative.  If you wait to submit your application, you could wind up in a situation where you miss your effective date altogether.

The good news for consumers is that the application for your federal subsidy can now be completed easily and efficiently!  It can be done online in less than ten minutes or you can call 888-765-5400 and one of our licensed and professional agents can assist you in submitting your application right over the phone.  Again, this process usually takes only a few minutes and the earlier you submit your application, the sooner you will have insurance cards in hand, giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you and your family are covered for 2016.

Keep in mind that although Open Enrollment does not officially end until January 31st, in order for your coverage to begin February 1st, you must submit your application by January 15th.  If you submit after that date, you will not have coverage until March 1st.

For more information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina insurance coverage, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.

If you are one of the many Americans who waited… and waited… and waited on hold with the Federal Marketplace trying your best to enroll in health insurance by the December 15th deadline, but were still unable to complete the process, we can help! Although the deadline has passed for a January 1st effective date, Open Enrollment is still happening and you can be enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina health plan starting February 1st in just minutes!  We offer a simple, straight-forward, and short application you can do online or over the phone with one of our experienced and professional agents and we are happy to help you choose a plan, submit an application and assist you through enrolllment. (more…)

Although the deadline for 2016 health coverage with an effective date of January 1st has already passed, Open Enrollment is not over yet!  In fact, this year’s Open Enrollment continues through January 31st, 2016 and you can still apply in as little as ten minutes.  If you have a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), you may still be able to get a January 1st effective date, but for most people, that effective date will no longer be available.  Here are the remaining important dates to keep in mind:

If you want your coverage to begin February 1st, you need to submit your application by midnight, January 15th.

If you want your coverage to begin March 1st, you need to submit your application by midnight January 31st.

The only thing that can change these effective dates is if you have a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) that makes you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period.  Qualifying Life Events include things like loss of minimum essential coverage through an employer or through Medicaid, a marriage, a move and more.  Check out the list of Qualifying Life Events, but keep in mind that your QLE must have occurred within the last 60 days in order for you to be eligible. (more…)

If you are still uninsured and trying to secure health coverage for 2016, your application must be submitted by midnight December 15th in order to qualify for a January 1st effective date (some exceptions apply).  Although Open Enrollment will not officially end until January 31st, 2016, you do not want to miss this important deadline!  In fact, if you fail to submit your application by December 15, 2015, in most cases you will not be eligible for health coverage to begin until February 1st and you will remain without health coverage throughout the month of January. (more…)

Open Enrollment 2016 is well underway and with all the changes in the health insurance industry, renewing your policy for 2016 can be more confusing than ever.  Updating or qualifying for a federal subsidy, changes in your local network or available plans, and deciding whether or not to keep your grandfathered plan or apply for an ACA plan can leave you feeling frustrated.  But that’s where we come in.  Having an agent can help ease the stress of renewing your insurance policy as we help guide you through the process of making any necessary changes.  We can discuss networks, benefits, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits and help you decide which policy best suits the needs of you and your family for 2016. (more…)

Open Enrollment for 2016 is now in full swing and customers are asking a lot of hard questions, fair questions, questions that demand an answer.  Most of the questions and frustrations center around one thing:  rate increases.  On a near daily basis, insurance companies, agents and brokers are having to try to explain why the cost of insurance is soaring and how families and individuals are supposed to step up and meet the rising costs.  Prior to Open Enrollment, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina made a strenuous effort to try and answer some of these questions in advance, stating that the “goal, as always, is to offer health coverage that our customers can depend on at rates as affordable and sustainable as possible.”  Blue Cross went on to explain why a rate increase was imperative in order to maintain viability.  In fact, the company provided claims data for 2014 and the first half of 2015, reporting a $132 million dollar loss on ACA business alone.  At that time, BCBSNC explained two important trends:  First, there was no slowdown in any residual demand for medical services from new customers entering the health insurance marketplace after the induction of the ACA and second, there was a prevalence of more chronic health conditions needing medical treatment among ACA customers.

In more recent news, United Health Care has announced it may completely pull out of ACA Exchanges in 2017, citing significant losses on ACA business as the reason for this consideration.  The New York Times reported that United Health Group told investors “it was significantly lowering its profit estimates and blamed an expected loss of hundreds of millions of dollars selling individual policies under federal health care law” (11/20, B1, Abelson, Subscription Publication).   The article further stated “the company said it was estimating losses of more than $600 million from its exchange business, before taxes, in 2015 and 2016.”  With this announcement, customers are once again faced with hard questions about what is happening in the health insurance industry. (more…)

If you did not get health coverage previously under the Affordable Care Act, you can enroll in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC health plan for next year starting November 1st.  In addition, if you are already enrolled, you can make a change to your existing coverage or renew your plan for 2016.  Open Enrollment will end January 31st, 2016 and if you do not enroll in a plan during this time, you will not be able to obtain health coverage until 2017 unless you have a Qualifying Life Event.

There are at least three key components to choosing an ACA plan that is right for you and your family: Benefits, premiums and the network of doctors and hospitals. (more…)