CHARLESTON — “Be an informed consumer” is the message health advocates have for West Virginians now that enrollment is open for 2019 health plans on the insurance exchange created in the Affordable Care Act.
“The ACA still exists,” said Chantal Fields, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care.
Thursday was the first day for enrollment and the deadline to sign up for 2019 coverage is Dec. 15.
For a sixth year, the marketplace offering subsidies to qualifying West Virginians at healthcare.gov is available to people who don’t have other health insurance options like private employer plans or the government Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Despite changes to ACA under President Donald Trump, financial assistance in the form of subsidies is still available and, Fields said, eight in 10 West Virginians will qualify for subsidies in some form as long as they enroll through healthcare.gov.
All consumer protections created in ACA, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions, remain intact as well.
Again this year, different levels of plans from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield along with CareSource, which now covers 35 western West Virginia counties, are on West Virginia’s exchange.
This is the first enrollment period since Congress removed the tax penalties for people who don’t have health insurance.
Jeremy Smith, project director for West Virginia Navigator, an enrollment assistance program, said the concern is many Mountain State residents will decide not to get health insurance at all.
“Even if you don’t feel sick, one car wreck or one surgery can bankrupt you and your family and it follows you around the rest of your life,” Smith said.
“Health insurance is extremely important and it’s still affordable for a lot of folks, especially younger people.”
Along with the elimination of the individual mandate, it’s now easier for some people to purchase cheaper, less comprehensive coverage through what are often referred to as short-term or catastrophic plans.
“You have to be extremely careful when you’re shopping for those kinds of plans to make sure that they cover what you want them to cover,” Smith said.
A short-term limited duration plan is a type of health plan that provides coverage for only specified health care services or treatments or provides coverage for limited periods.
Qualified health plans are certified to meet minimum standards of the Affordable Care Act, including coverage of preventative services, maternity care, prescription drugs, hospitalization and mental health treatment.
Plans on the health insurance exchange itself are compliant, but Fields cautioned a link at healthcare.gov under the “Get Contacted” tab leads to phone pitches for the short-term plans from outside insurance carriers.
“The best way to avoid the problem is contact a local navigator. These folks know what they’re doing. They know how to find you the best deal and the best insurance for your family,” said Fields.
Navigators provide free assistance.
More information on that is available by calling 844-WV-CARES. Appointments can made for phone or in-person consultations in local communities.
Help can also be found at many health centers.
“An accident or injury can happen any day,” Fields warned. “When it does, the last thing you want to worry is how to pay for that health care.”
