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How to Shop for Health Insurance

In the United States, we all require health insurance. You do. Your children do. It’s not a “nice to have” anymore — it’s a “must-have.” And that’s the law. In most situations, parents who aren’t covered (or don’t have their kids covered) by health insurance might have to pay a fine every year. Going without also means that if any person gets injured or sick, a family might be forced to pay all bills for services provided. This can cost a lot more than paying for coverage.

To help residents buy health insurance, the federal and state governments set up a health insurance marketplace (also called the health care exchange). This makes it more convenient than ever to get coverage, but the process can seem a bit confusing.

Here’s what you should do to get health insurance.

Getting Started

Before you search for a health insurance plan, check to see if you or your kid can get coverage some other way. The government considers an individual covered if they have Medicare, Medicaid, a state-run child health insurance plan (CHIP), or insurance they get through a parent or spouse’s job. Your kid could already be covered by or be qualified for free or low-cost coverage through a public program.

If you want to get insurance for yourself or your kid, you can go online and visit the United States Government’s comprehensive healthcare website ( www.healthcare.gov ). You can buy a plan or apply for CHIP or Medicaid there.

It’s important to remember that you can only purchase insurance through the healthcare marketplace during the open enrollment period, which starts in mid-November and lasts until February. If the enrollment period is over, you or your kid may have to get insurance through a private insurer to be covered for that year.

In most states, the health care exchange is run by healthcare.gov, while others run it themselves. In case you reside in one of those states, you can visit your state’s official marketplace website directly or link it through healthcare.gov.

How to Apply for a Health Insurance

Applying for an insurance plan through the healthcare marketplace can be completed online through healthcare.gov or a state site, over the phone, or through regular mail by filling out a form that can be mailed to you or downloaded from the Internet.

Before you fill out an online application, you’ll need to create an account on healthcare.gov or your state’s marketplace.

You’ll require to know a few things about each person applying for coverage. Be ready to offer:

• Social Security numbers (or document numbers for lawful immigrants)
• information concerning employers and income
• policy numbers for any existing health insurance plans

If you have a job that provides health insurance, but you’re not happy with it, you can opt to get coverage through healthcare.gov instead. But before you apply, you’ll require to fill out a form known as an Employer Coverage Tool that can be found on the healthcare.gov website.

The application will ask for standard information such as your name, kid’s name, address, phone number, and email. You’ll be required to answer questions about citizenship, dependents, and whether you plan to file a federal income tax return the following year.

If you need help paying for insurance, you will have to provide information concerning your yearly income (and the income of anyone else applying for coverage). This includes income from jobs and other sources such as:

• Social Security
• joblessness
• retirement accounts
• assets rental
• alimony

If you pay alimony or interest on student loans, you can subtract the amount you pay when you fill out your application.

What Happens Next?

After you’ve applied, healthcare.gov or your state’s site will determine if you or your kids qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP. It will also determine if you or your children are qualified to get insurance through the healthcare marketplace. For many people, if you are a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant and you are not in jail, you will be qualified.

Although it’s unlikely, sometimes parents are qualified to purchase health insurance through the healthcare marketplace, but their kids aren’t. Sometimes children are eligible, but their parents aren’t. If either of these applies to you, you would have the right to appeal the decision, and you could still get private insurance for anyone requiring coverage.

If you qualify for coverage but are not eligible for any publicly subsidized programs, the health care marketplace will present you with the insurance plans available in your state based on your income and family state. It will be up to you to choose which policy to shop.

Resources and References:

• How to Find Affordable Health Care
• Medicare Coverage