National Benefits - PPACA / Obamacare Guide
Important Health Insurance Marketplace Dates-
You can generally buy Marketplace health insurance only during the annual Open Enrollment period. The dates to know:
- November 1, 2023: Open Enrollment for January 1, 2024 coverage
- December 15, 2023: Cut off for January 1, 2024 effective dates
To buy Marketplace insurance outside Open Enrollment, you must qualify for a special enrollment period due to a qualifying life change event such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or loss of other health coverage.
What is a Special Enrollment Period?
A time outside of the Open Enrollment period during which you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage. In the Marketplace, you generally qualify for a special enrollment period of 60 days following certain life events that involve a change in family status (for example, marriage or birth of a child) or loss of other health coverage. If you don’t have a special enrollment period, you can’t buy insurance through the Marketplace until the next Open Enrollment period. Job-based plans generally allow special enrollment periods of 30 days.
What is a Life Changing Event (LCE)?
A change in your life that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in health coverage. Examples of qualifying life events are moving to a new state, certain changes in your income, and changes in your family size (for example, if you marry, divorce, or have a baby).
You can generally buy Marketplace health insurance only during the annual Open Enrollment period. The dates to know:
- November 1, 2023: Open Enrollment for January 1, 2024 coverage
- December 15, 2023: Cut off for January 1, 2024 effective dates
To buy Marketplace insurance outside Open Enrollment, you must qualify for a special enrollment period due to a qualifying life change event such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or loss of other health coverage.
What is a Special Enrollment Period?
A time outside of the Open Enrollment period during which you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage. In the Marketplace, you generally qualify for a special enrollment period of 60 days following certain life events that involve a change in family status (for example, marriage or birth of a child) or loss of other health coverage. If you don’t have a special enrollment period, you can’t buy insurance through the Marketplace until the next Open Enrollment period. Job-based plans generally allow special enrollment periods of 30 days.
What is a Life Changing Event (LCE)?
A change in your life that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in health coverage. Examples of qualifying life events are moving to a new state, certain changes in your income, and changes in your family size (for example, if you marry, divorce, or have a baby).
Helpful Marketplace Information-
When you apply for health insurance you will be asked for information about you and your household, including income, any insurance you currently have, and some additional items.The checklist below can help you gather what you need to apply for coverage.
When you apply for health insurance you will be asked for information about you and your household, including income, any insurance you currently have, and some additional items.The checklist below can help you gather what you need to apply for coverage.
- Name, address, contact information
- Social Security numbers of each member of your household to be covered by your plan (or document numbers for lawfully present individuals) if you are applying for financial assistance
- Birth dates
- Employer information for each member of your household
- Income information* for each member of your household (for example, wage and tax statements such as pay stubs or W2 forms)
- Information about any other income you receive
- Information and policy numbers for health insurance plans currently covering members of your household
- Names of preferred health care providers.
Premium Tax Calculator Information-
You may be eligible for a tax credit to reduce the monthly cost of health insurance if:
You may be eligible for a tax credit to reduce the monthly cost of health insurance if:
- You are an individual earning approximately $12,760 to $51,040 per year.
- You are a couple earning approximately $17,240 to $68,960 per year.
- You are a family of three earning approximately $21,720 to $86,880 per year.
- You are a family of four earning approximately $26,200 to $104,800 per year.
What are Essential Health Benefits?
All health insurance plans must include coverage for 10 types of service, like outpatient care, emergency room care, behavioral health, preventive services and more.
Health plans offered through Connect for Health Colorado provide comprehensive coverage in compliance with new requirements. The minimum set of benefits and services that are included in all health plans are:
Essential Health Benefits:
Ambulatory patient services
Emergency services
Hospitalization
Maternity and newborn care
Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
Laboratory services
Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
All health plans provide coverage for Essential Health Benefits. Any provider, including (but not limited to) Doctors of Chiropractic, can provide care for those Essential Health Benefits that are within his/her scope of practice under Colorado law. For those individuals interested in obtaining Essential Health Benefits, as well as other services, from a Doctor of Chiropractic, check to see what providers are in the carrier’s network of providers.
All health insurance plans must include coverage for 10 types of service, like outpatient care, emergency room care, behavioral health, preventive services and more.
Health plans offered through Connect for Health Colorado provide comprehensive coverage in compliance with new requirements. The minimum set of benefits and services that are included in all health plans are:
Essential Health Benefits:
Ambulatory patient services
Emergency services
Hospitalization
Maternity and newborn care
Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
Laboratory services
Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
All health plans provide coverage for Essential Health Benefits. Any provider, including (but not limited to) Doctors of Chiropractic, can provide care for those Essential Health Benefits that are within his/her scope of practice under Colorado law. For those individuals interested in obtaining Essential Health Benefits, as well as other services, from a Doctor of Chiropractic, check to see what providers are in the carrier’s network of providers.