Purchasing Personal Health Insurance Made Easier
Whether you have had health insurance before or not, purchasing personal health insurance for the first can seem like a daunting and complicated task. There are so many things to consider and be mindful of, and so many options when it comes to purchasing personal health insurance that you might get overwhelmed. Well, not to worry, because we have formulated this guide to make the process a little easier for you to understand and go through. So, whether it’s figuring out when to purchase personal health insurance, or where from, you can find all the answers below.
When to Purchase Personal Health Insurance
Health insurance concept. Tag cloud.
Before you can look at all the other factors, you first have to determine when you need to purchase health insurance for yourself. For instance, you cannot buy insurance that qualifies for the minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) year round. To buy this insurance, there has to be an open enrollment period or a qualifying life event, such as a change in your employment. However, sometimes there are special enrollment periods; for example, Native Americans and people who qualify for Medicaid can enroll any time. You may also qualify for enrollment if you have faced a life changing event recently, such as a marriage, divorce, change in employment, change in the people depending on you or change in citizenship.
Where to Purchase Personal Health Insurance
The next thing to consider while purchasing personal health insurance is where you can purchase it from. There are quite a few options available, and the first option you can look at is the plans available through online ACA Marketplaces. While many states and the District of Columbia have their own Marketplace websites, those who live in the states without their own websites can go to HealthCare.gov to apply for personal health insurance.
You can also purchase your plan from an insurance company directly. You can contact the insurance company directly or go to HealthCare.gov again to look for plans that provide private coverage outside the Marketplace. The third option is purchasing personal health insurance through an agent or broker. The difference between an agent and a broker is that an agent typically represents just one company, while a broker sells plans from various insurance companies.
The final option for purchasing personal health insurance is to purchase it from online sellers, for instance, HealthSherpa. Such seller provide comparisons between different plans and help you enroll with particular insurance companies.
