Richmond, Va. (PRWEB) September 21, 2014
Health insurance Marketplace seem daunting?
Experient Health, the health insurance arm of the Virginia Farm Bureau, released a step-by-step instruction for enrolling in the health insurance Marketplace.
Starting last year, open enrollment and coverage went into effect beginning January 1.
"Though Marketplace enrollment is now closed for this year, enrollment for 2015 will begin starting in the fall of 2014," Experient Health wrote.
In order to secure coverage through Marketplaces, Experient Health advises following these four steps:
1. Set up an account. Here individuals will provide some basic information to get started, such as name, address and email address.
2. Fill out the online application. Here individuals will provide information about the applicants' background, family, like income, household size, current health coverage information and more. This will help the Marketplace find options that meet the applicant's needs.
3. Compare your options. Here applicants will see all the options, including private insurance plans and free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The Marketplace will explain who qualifies "for lower costs on monthly premiums and out-of-pocked costs on deductibles, copayments and coinsurance," Experient Health wrote.
4. Enroll. After choosing a plan, applicants can enroll online and decide how to pay premiums to the insurance company.
Before starting the application, Experient Health suggests having social security numbers, employer and income information, policy numbers, and a complete worksheet called an “Employer Coverage Tool” in hand.
Some states run their own Marketplace. In other states, the Marketplace is run by the federal government.
Either way, applicants get the same access to all of the Marketplace coverage options.
In all states, there are people trained and certified to help applicants understand health coverage options and enroll in a plan. Though all will provide similar kinds of help, they will be known by different names (for example, navigators, application assisters or certified application counselors), depending on who provides the service and where they are located.
Insurance agents and brokers can also help you with your application and choices.
“The Marketplace website walks you step-by-step through the online health coverage application. It keeps track of where you are and guides you through to the end. If you have to stop your application and come back later, the Marketplace lets you re-start where you left off,” wrote Experient Health.
Useful information on each page explains the questions being asked, how much time each step might take and whether the applicant needs any forms or other documents.
"If you want life help while you apply, you can call the toll-free support center or chat with someone online," Experient Health wrote.
Applicants can also contact an Experient Health benefits consultant for assistance.
Read the full story at http://experientinsurance.com/2014/09/04/health-care-reform-enrolling-in-health-insurance-marketplace/.