Options When You Lose Your ACA Coverage

​Did you lose Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage? Every year, ACA registration closes on December 15.
If you miss that deadline, you may not obtain an ACA plan unless you meet certain conditions. However, a licensed health insurance agent can help you explore options that might let you register after the deadline.
Additionally, if you miss a premium payment deadline, you may lose coverage. If you miss a payment deadline, you have a “grace period,” often 90 days from your payment due date. If you also miss your grace period deadline, a licensed health insurance agent can help you appeal the cancellation decision.
Perhaps you qualify for either special enrollment or Medicaid. You might buy a short-term health insurance plan or join either a health-sharing plan or a primary-care membership plan. If you do lose your ACA coverage, short-term medical insurance may help you close the gap between cancellation and the next ACA enrollment period, where the ACA guarantees coverage eligibility.
Short-term health plans often take effect within one day of application completion and payment of the premium. They frequently don’t impose penalties for cancellation, and they may refund unused premiums. Premiums might be lower than those of ACA plans, and short-term plans sometimes offer more doctors and hospital options.
However, short-term plans either will not accept you with preexisting conditions or will accept you but exclude those conditions. Prescription drugs, maternity care, substance abuse, and preventive health care are services and items that short-term plans may not cover.
Changes to short-term plans in 2019 let you enroll for 30 to 364 days, depending on where you live, and to renew for up to three years of continuous coverage. These plans could be a good option if you lose your ACA coverage.
It’s easy to apply for short-term plans online, but those plans vary widely. Contact us for assistance with finding the right plan for you.