ObamaCare Deadlines

ObamaCare Deadlines

There are a few important ObamaCare deadlines everyone needs to know. Here is a quick breakdown of important ObamaCare deadlines for signing up for health insurance.

• "Short Coverage Gap" Exemption(s) Update: Although the "short coverage gap" exemption allows you up to three months in a row without coverage in 2014, healthcare.gov has stated folks have until March 31st, 2014 to enroll in a marketplace plan and still avoid the fee (due to an additional exemption which covers April). So you could enroll on March 31st and have coverage that starts on May 1st and still avoid being responsibility for the shared responsibility payment.

• March 31st, 2014 - Open enrollment for 2014 ends on March 31st, 2014. You can still sign up for off-marketplace insurance or Medicaid after open enrollment. Medicaid can even start up to two months retroactively while private insurance typically starts on the 1st of the following month if purchased before the 15th.

• Certain life events like having a child or moving out of state can qualify you for a special enrollment period that allows you to purchase marketplace insurance outside of open enrollment with federal subsidies.

• November 1st, 2014 - Open enrollment for 2015 begins for both individuals and small business portions of the marketplace. Small businesses have been eligible for tax credits for insuring employees since 2010. This must be done with the aid of an agent using a paper form for 2010-2014. Tax credits are retroactive. Learn more about ObamaCare and small business.

• January 1st, 2015 - Large employers must start to offer health insurance to full-time employees. Learn more about the "employer mandate".

Source: "ObamaCare Facts: Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Marketplace." ObamaCare Facts: Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Marketplace. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.

ObamaCare, deadlines, subsidies, and taxes

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We did our first Google Hangout today about the healthcare reform. The deadline to enroll is fast approaching and we think people need to know what is going on, especially those who procrastinated.

The end of open enrollment

We still have another month to go, but we are getting calls from people wanting to know when the last day to enroll is. If you want to get any government assistance and you enroll by March 15, your coverage will start April 1. If you enroll after that, your coverage won't start until may 1 and your last day to enroll is march 31.
We have been very fortunate to have Health Plan of Nevada and Sierra Health allow people to enroll for effective dates up until the very last day of the month. That means we are still taking applications for March 1 for them up until February 28. These plans will not get any government assistance, but the rates are good and plans even better. All other insurance companies are keeping with the 15th of the month final enrollment dates.
The Nevada Health Link website is still having issues showing payment information. Delays are still expected with getting cards. Just be patient and know the system is going to work. I am finding that doctors and hospitals are getting more and more of these cases where people paid and they show covered without cards. Some places are accepting your health link printout proving you are insured and will hopefully take you knowing you have insurance. Make sure and follow up when you do get cards, otherwise you will be on the line for 100% of the bills if you don't.

Now is still the best time to enroll. Get started early to avoid major delays and get yourself situated. I highly recommend calling our office at Nevada benefits. We can get you signed up and educated in less than 15 minutes if you want (typically 30-40). That will save you hours on the Nevada Health Link site and many sleepless nights. I can't even count the number of clients who have found relief after calling us. I honestly feel bad they didn't call us sooner. They also almost enrolled in the wrong plan not knowing their full options.

Financial Planning Classes Starting up again!

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Palo Verde High School

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Las Vegas NV 89144

(702) 799-1450

 

- Thursday, February 20 & 27, 2014

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UNLV Paradise Campus

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Las Vegas NV 89154

(702) 895-3394

 

- Tuesday, March 18 & 25, 2014

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CSN Summerlin High Tech Center

333 Pavilion Court Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89144

(702) 651-4900

 

- Thursday, May 8 & 15, 2014

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- Tuesday, May 13 & 20, 2014

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Helpful Information for Nevada Benefits Clients!

Please take a look at the information provided below. You may find answers to some of your questions or information that may point you in the right direction to get the answers your questions. 

First off, Please be aware that many of the insurance carriers have fallen behind in inputting clients into their system. We are making a list of clients who have not received their cards, if you are one of those clients please call us and let us know so we can check on your cards. We are checking on these daily and will contact you once we receive your insurance information.

Nevada Co-op:

You can check the status of your application at: 855-606-2667

Medicaid:

If you have applied for Medicaid and would like to know the status of your application you can call 1-877-638-3472.

If you think you may qualify for Medicaid you can contact their office at (702) 668-4200 to apply.

2013 Federal Poverty Guidelines for 48 Contiguous States and DC

Federal Poverty Guidelines Used to Calculate Premiums, Cost-Assistance and Taxes in 2013 - 2014:

Medicaid Eligible
Household Size	100%	133%	138%	150%	200%	300%	400%
1	$11,490	$15,282	$15,856	$17,235	$22,980	$34,470	$45,960
2	15,510	20,628	$21,404	23,265	31,020	46,530	62,040
3	19,530	25,975	$26,951	29,295	39,060	58,590	78,120
4	23,550	31,322	$32,499	35,325	47,100	70,650	94,200
5	27,570	36,668	$38,047	41,355	55,140	82,710	110,280
6	31,590	42,015	$43,594	47,385	63,180	94,770	126,360
7	35,610	47,361	$49,142	53,415	71,220	106,830	142,440
8	39,630	52,708	$54,689	59,445	79,260	118,890	158,520
For each additional person, add	$4,020	$5,347	$5,548	$6,030	$8,040	$12,060	$16,080

ObamaCare Open Enrollment Deadlines:

Must be enrolled by Jan. 15 for a Feb. 1st effective date and Feb. 15 for a March 1st effective date and then open enrollment will not be again until next Oct. 2014.

You can apply for health insurance after March direct with the carriers (not through Nevada Health Link), but there will be a 90 day wait for coverage after submission of application and then you will still be assessed the penalty.

New year and new troubels with Nevada Health Link

We are still getting calls about people enrolling in the new health exchange in Nevada. Great news is we have figured out what makes it tick. The bad news...there are still glitches.
People who started an application before the 1st of the year but never finished it and made a payment will not be able to use that account to sign up for insurance. You will want to deactivate that account and create a new one! Don't stress though, just give us a call and we can do it over the phone in less than 15 minutes. (usually more like 5-10)

A lot of people who signed up and paid are still waiting on their cards. With all of the government delays, it was bound to happen. The insurance companies didn't get their payments until the 11th hour and then have to issue cards and input data, so there is bound to be problems. Just be patient and know you have coverage starting jan 1. If you need help with getting bills processed and claims paid, call my office and Tali or Damari can help.

Try calling the hotline, and expect to wait for 2 hours. There are so many problems and issues still happening from the past few months that Nevada Health link can't process everything. Outside of Medicaid, my office can probably handle just about everything. As long as we are listed as your broker, we will sit on hold for you, or know how to bypass them all together and get you the answers you need. I get calls daily from people whom the health link referred to me, because they couldn't even help, but I could.

The new wave of people who I now consider the super smart ones for waiting, are going to have nothing but smooth sailing. We learned our big mistakes from the past few months and can start fresh from scratch with you. I still recommend calling to get things squared away. It will make your life easier, but then again, I don't know what February will bring....

Sorry! Nevada Health Link is down at the moment!

Is that what you were told when you called us? Well, we are just as frustrated as you are!

We are continuously receiving phone calls from customers who are trying to apply online through nevadahealthlink.com saying "I went online to the exchange and it is telling me there are no plans available". Of course it does bring us more customers, but we want our customers to be happy.

When the site first came up and we had the same issues we blogged asking for patience. Who would have thought we still need to ask the same thing almost two months later!

Well, don't worry...we are here to help and can do the application for you. Stop being patient, and call us. We have done hundreds of these apps and finished them!

Below is another article, featuring Nevada Benefits, in the Las Vegas Review Journal discussing these issues:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/silver-state-health-insurance-exchange-still-plagued-problems