The Health Insurance Open Enrollment Period for 2020 begins on Friday, November 1^st, and we are ready to assist individuals and families in applying for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Health Coverage. November 1^st to December 15^th marks a very important time period for health insurance known as the annual Open Enrollment Period. Whether you are currently enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, or looking into your Health Plan options for the first time, we are here to help find the best plan for you!  As we approach Open Enrollment, it is important to be aware of important updates, dates and deadlines that relate to your Blue Cross Blue Shield health coverage in 2020.

Blue Cross NC Rate Decreases in 2020

This summer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced that all 100 Counties in North Carolina will experience Health Care Rate Decreases for year 2020. This rate decrease is an overall average of 5.2 percent for Affordable Care Act plans offered to individuals and families in 2020. There is also an average 3.3 percent decrease for those plans offered to small businesses with one to 50 employees. These rate decreases show a total reduction of $238 million to health care costs in 2020.

Does this mean your premium will decrease next year? Health Insurance premiums will always vary based on your location, age, and federal tax credit/subsidy applied to your premium. Therefore, not every Blue Cross NC member in North Carolina will experience the same amount in rate changes for 2020.

When is Open Enrollment for 2020?

The NC Health Insurance annual Open Enrollment Period begins on Friday, November 1^st and lasts through Sunday, December 15^th. This time period does not apply to non ACA-compliant plans, or ancillary plans such as dental or vision.

When Will Your Coverage Start?

If you enroll in a BCBSNC Health Insurance plan during Open Enrollment, your coverage start date will be January 1^st, 2020. This will also be your initial premium due date.

Is it Affordable?
One of the amenities of the Affordable Care Act is federal tax credits, also known as subsidies. Subsidies are designed to lower the cost of health insurance for low and middle income individuals or families. Subsidies are primarily based on your household income per the number of people on your tax return. To determine if you are eligible for subsidy to help reduce your premium, generate your BCBSNC quote and estimate your subsidy!

For those who are not subsidy eligible, Short Term health insurance could potentially be a more affordable option. While these plans are not ACA-compliant, you may now apply for up to 360 days of coverage under one Short Term application. In addition, there are other plans offering up to 3 years of coverage. For more information about these plans, generate your Short Term Insurance Quote.

How Do You Apply/Renew?

During this time period, anyone shopping for individual or family Health Insurance plans can enroll in ACA-Compliant Health Insurance without having a Qualifying Life Event. In other words, individuals do not need a special reason to apply for health coverage during Open Enrollment. This is the easiest time of year to apply for coverage, and the application process has never been more simple! You can now apply for your subsidy and complete the application process completely online. Existing Marketplace members who need to update their application or change their plan can also complete this process online. CLICK HERE to generate your 2020 rate quote and start your application. You can begin your application or renew your existing coverage for 2020 starting November 1^st, 2019.

For more information on North Carolina Health 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.

We are excited to announce the newest member of our team at Jerry Ballard and Associates, Emily McLaurin. Emily has just finished her appointment and licensing for her North Carolina Health Insurance License. In the short time she has been with Jerry Ballard & Associates/NC Health Plans Agency, we have gained respect and admiration for her loyalty and desire to help our clients with their customer service needs.

Emily previously worked in the banking industry and graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC with a BS Degree in Clothing and Textiles, with a minor concentration in Business. She resides in beautiful Carteret County, North Carolina with her husband and son and also has two grown daughters and a son-in-law. Emily loves living along the Coast in Eastern North Carolina and spending time with her family.

Emily’s exceptionally positive attitude and bright spirit will enhance the experience for all of our Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina clients. She is delighted to help guide our existing and new clients through navigating the health insurance marketplace.  Her wonderful spirit is refreshing to all, but her compassion for the elderly makes it a delight when our seniors call in to go over their Medicare Supplement needs. At Jerry Ballard & Associates, we strive to provide the best customer service for all North Carolinians and Emily is excited to use her customer service background to help meet the needs of all of our clients.

For more information on North Carolina Health Insurance coverage, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 or our local number 252-726-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is excited to announce filing for a 2020 rate decrease with the North Carolina Department of Insurance.  This is a big step in Blue Cross of NC’s movement toward making healthcare more affordable to North Carolinian’s.

Blue Cross NC Rate Decrease for 2020

For the second year in a row, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has filed to decrease rates for coverage starting in the new year. This rate decrease is an overall average of 5.2 percent for Affordable Care Act plans offered to individuals and families in year 2020. There is also an average 3.3 percent decrease for those plans offered to small businesses with one to 50 employees. These rate decreases show a total reduction of $238 million to health care costs in 2020.

“We want to be a national model for health care transformation, where insurers and providers are jointly responsibly for delivering better, simpler, more affordable care,” said Patrick Conway, President and CEO of Blue Cross NC. “The hard work is not done, and we must continue building on these successes if we are going to truly make health care affordable for everyone in North Carolina. What these rate reductions show is that the move to value is working – when the focus is on quality and accountability, costs go down and the customer wins.”

Does this mean your premium will decrease?

Health Insurance premiums will always vary based on your location, age, and federal tax credit/subsidy applied to your premium. It is important to know that the overall rate decrease is an average for all counties in North Carolina. Therefore, not every Blue Cross NC member in North Carolina will experience the same amount in rate changes for 2020.

As of now, the Federal Tax Credits or Subsidies will still be available in 2020 to enrollees with a household income between 100 and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Nearly 90 percent of existing Blue Cross NC enrollees are subsidy eligible. To determine if you may be subsidy eligible, CLICK HERE to generate a quote online and discover how subsidies can greatly reduce the cost of your monthly Health Insurance premium.

When is the 2020 Open Enrollment Period?

The Open Enrollment Period will begin on November 1^st, 2019 and ends December 15^th, 2019. This is the time of year where anyone can enroll in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC plan without needing a Qualifying Life Event. We know the importance of understanding your health coverage and understand that the Health Insurance market can be confusing. If you are an existing member or considering enrolling in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC plan during the Open Enrollment Period, we are happy to help you through the process. Rate quotes for 2020 plans as well as renewal information for existing members will be available in October.

For more information on North Carolina Health 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.

When it comes to choosing a Health Insurance Plan, it is great to have options. However, having options in the Health Insurance market can quickly become overwhelming. Two types of health plans that shoppers often find themselves choosing between are HMO and PPO Plans. One of our most commonly asked questions from Health Plan shoppers is: “What is the difference between a HMO vs PPO plan?” There are many terms that are used to describe these types of health plans, and understanding them is key when determining which plan is right for you.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs)

The term HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization. HMOs are regarded as a managed health care system, which provide prepaid medical services with little out of pocket expense. With an HMO plan, the subscriber will be required to see a Primary Care Physician (PCP) that is in network with their HMO plan. These plans have networks of medical providers, and subscribers must seek treatment from these providers. There are no out of network benefits under an HMO plan. Some HMO plans may also require your Primary Care Physician give you a referral in order to see a specialist. Because these types of plans have more restrictive networks, subscribers will generally have lower premiums and low deductibles under these plans.

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

The term PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization. These plans are an arrangement under which a group of independent doctors and hospitals become preferred providers in an area. PPO plans offer more flexibility and choices when it comes to choosing your doctor or hospital. Like HMOs, PPOs also have a network of providers. However, there are fewer restrictions on seeing providers who are not in network. Under a PPO plan, you will also usually have the benefit of seeing a specialist without a referral from your Primary Care Physician. Because PPO plans are more flexible, premiums tend to be higher, and it is common to have a deductible.

Point of Service (POSs)

Point of Service Plans (POS) are a hybrid plan that combine features of PPO and HMO plans. These plans are designed so the member can choose (at the point of service) which part of the plan they would like to utilize. If the subscriber stays in network with this plan, they will have HMO benefits. If the member sees an out of network provider, they will be responsible for the out of network rates. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina offers a variety of Point of Service health plans. CLICK HERE to generate a custom quote and discover your plan options.

What do these plans have in common?

HMO’s, PPO’s and POS plans all have provider networks. A network refers to the list of doctors, hospitals, labs, and other providers that are contracted with the health plan. The difference in these plans network options is the size of the network, and whether or not the plan offers out of network benefits. Each of these types of plans also offer coverage for emergency services both in and out of network.

At NC Health Plans, we understand that making decisions within the Health Insurance market can be confusing. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina offers a variety of health plans for both under 65 and Medicare shoppers. Give us a call to speak with one of our professional agents and discover what health plan will work best for you or your family.

For more information on North Carolina Health 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.

The Health Insurance Marketplace has recently approved a brand new, quick and simplified application process that will benefit all Marketplace customers, old and new. As we are in the Special Enrollment Period, existing Marketplace members often find themselves needing to make updates or changes within their application. On the other hand, new members who qualify for a Special Enrollment Period need to apply on the Marketplace within 60 days of their Qualifying Life Event. This new and improved application process was designed to help simplify the process and make your marketplace application easier to navigate. If you are in the market for an affordable Health Insurance plan, or are currently enrolled through the Health Insurance Marketplace, look no further to make your editing or enrollment process much easier during the Special Enrollment Period.  The process can be started by generating a quote and clicking “Enroll.”

Do you need to get enrolled in an affordable health plan?

If you qualify for Special Enrollment Period and have experienced a qualifying life event within 60 days, you may be eligible to enroll in an Affordable Care Act health plan. In order to apply for savings on the cost of these health insurance plans, one must apply for a federal tax credit or subsidy through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Subsidies can greatly reduce the cost of your monthly premiums, allowing you to save money on the cost of health insurance.  In the past, the application has been lengthy and repetitive.  However, the new and improved application process can simplify this experience, making it easier to navigate your application. This more user-friendly application helps guide you through the questions and makes them easy to understand. Generate a quote to discover if you are eligible for savings during the Special Enrollment Period and get started on your application!

Already enrolled through the Health Insurance Marketplace?

If you are already enrolled through the Health Insurance Marketplace and receive savings on your Health Insurance premium, there are several topics to consider during the Special Enrollment Period. These topics may trigger you to make changes to your application throughout the year. If you experience income changes, you must submit these changes to the marketplace. It is very important to keep your income up to date to ensure you are receiving the correct amount of federal tax credit, or savings on your premium. Other updates may include adding or removing household members from your application or reporting a move from your primary place of living. Utilizing this updated application platform will allow you to make these changes quickly and easily when needed. If you are enrolled through the Marketplace and need to make updates or changes, CLICK HERE to access your application or give us a call. We are happy to discuss these changes with you and ensure that you are taking the correct steps to update your application during the Special Enrollment Period.

For more information on North Carolina Health 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.