We are in the most wonderful time of the year. Families are coming together to enjoy one another's company, the air outside smells like fire places, and people are taking stock of all the good they have. In fact, we are so busy celebrating the present that we can easily forget to plan for a healthy future for the year ahead. Specifically, open enrollment is going on now and is over on December 15th 2019. I am sure you have seen many commercials on TV or heard advertisements on the radio for Open Enrollment season. These ads may have been from insurance companies or even the federal government. So the question is, what is open enrollment and why should you care?
Open enrollment refers to the period of time when people can enroll in a health insurance plan. Outside of the enrollment period someone can generally only enroll in a health insurance plan only if you have a qualifying life event. Some of these events are getting married, having a baby, or losing health insurance. With medical costs being quite high if you don’t have insurance, it is very important to make sure you and your family get properly insured.
There are a couple of things to remember when selecting health insurance from the health insurance marketplace. Firstly, in order to enroll in marketplace insurance you you must live in the United States, be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present), and not be incarcerated. Secondly, depending on income, you may qualify for an insurance plan with tax credits or for Medicaid/the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). See where your income falls. Next, remember that regardless of what insurance plan you select, your plan is obligated to cover essential health benefits, pre-existing conditions, and preventive services. Also, when selecting a plan, remember the cost vs. benefit concept. Meaning, while we all want to pay less money for whatever we purchase, sometimes the piece of mind of having a little more coverage or even a lower deductible is worth the extra dollars monthly and can sometimes even save you money in the long run.
At Rockaway Home Care and Rockaway CDPAP we help you navigate the ins and outs of medicaid, medicare, and private insurance and how you can make sure you are using all of the benefits that you are entitled to. We even help get you covered for medicaid to cover your, or your loved ones, home care needs at no cost to you or them. Our skilled intake team will patiently and happily answer all of your questions and walk you through the process step by step to make sure you feel comfortable from your first phone call or email all the way till the first day the home care services start.
So as we all celebrate this festive time of year, remember plan for your tomorrow by being properly insured so you can sleep easily tomorrow.
Rockaway Home Care is a division of Foundation For The Elderly a New York State 501(c)(3) Non Profit. Proudly servicing Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan, Nassau, & Westchester for Home Care services. Servicing the entire New York State for CDPAP services (the program that allows family or friends to care for a loved one).