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Nevada health insurance 10 facts about buying a plan

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Nevada health insurance 10 facts about buying a plan

The Nevada Health Insurance Marketplace makes it easier to find quality, affordable coverage. Millions of Americans have already gotten coverage, many for the first time just last year.

Here are 10 facts you should know about the Marketplace and buying health insurance in Utah.

  1.  Some states operate their own Marketplace, and in other states the Marketplace is run by the federal government. In Nevada it is ran by healthcare.gov or the marketplace. You can sign up for 2015 Marketplace coverage as soon as November 15, 2014.  Make sure to visit Nevadahealth.com and check each companies rates to compare values on and off the exchange.
  2. Health insurance plans offered through the Marketplace are run by private companies. Companies like , Nevada Health co op, anthem blue cross, HPN.
  3. Every health plan in the Nevada Marketplace offers the same set of essential health benefits, including doctor visits, preventive care, hospitalization, prescriptions and more.
  4. You can compare your options in the Marketplace and see what your premium, deductibles, and out of pocket costs will be before you make a decision to enroll in your health plan
  5. After you fill out a Marketplace application you’ll learn if you’re eligible for lower monthly premiums. Many people who apply for health coverage through the Marketplace will qualify for some kind of savings.
  6. You can apply for Medicaid or the the CHIP program through the Marketplace at any time of year in some cases though you may need a SEP or special enrollment.  These programs provide free or low-cost coverage to millions of Americans with limited incomes, disabilities, and certain family situations. In Nevada thousands of people qualified for medicaid be sure to check if your family qualifies.
  7. If you qualify for a SEP or special enrollment, you may apply for health coverage through the Marketplace outside the Open Enrollment Period. In most cases you have 60 days from the qualifying event.
  8. Health plans offered through the Marketplace can’t deny you coverage because of preexisting conditions like hypertension, cancer or diabetes, and they can’t charge women and men different insurance premiums.
  9. In the Marketplace, you generally can get dental coverage as part of a health plan or by itself through a separate, stand-alone dental plan.
  10. You must report certain qualifying events to the Marketplace, such as if you get married or divorced, have a child or adopt a child, or have a change in your income. After you report life changes to the Marketplace, you’ll get a new eligibility notice that will explain if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and lower costs. One of the biggest qualifying events is change of income during the year don’t end up with a tax bill if you start making more money we talk about this some more in this insurance article.

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by contacting them here or by getting a quote. Prices are the same regardless of

 

Reporting life changes in the marketplace

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Reporting life & income changes in the Marketplace

Once you have Marketplace coverage, you must report certain life changes that occur during the year
This information may change the coverage or savings you’re eligible for the current year and future years.

 Life changes to report

You must report a change if you have any of the following

  • Get married or divorced
  • Have a child, adopt a child, or place a child for adoption
  • Have a change in income
  • Get health coverage through a job or a program like Medicare or Medicaid
  • Change your place of residence
  • Have a change in disability status
  • Gain or lose a dependent
  • Become pregnant
  • Experience other changes that may affect your income and household size
  • Other changes to report: change in tax filing status; change of citizenship or immigration status; incarceration or release from incarceration; change in status as an American Indian/Alaska Native or tribal status; correction to name, date of birth, or Social Security number.

You should report these type of changes to the Marketplace as soon as you possibly can. The reason why is because it could affect your subsidy levels for the current year and next year. For example let’s you say you make $25,000 in the current year and you receive $4,000 in subsidy to apply for one of the health plans what happens if you end up making $50,000 for the current year. More than likely you will end up owning on your taxes at when you fill them out for the next year, so if you have any type of major income change or any of the changes above get into your account and tell them what it is.

If these life changes qualify you for a special enrollment period to change plans, in most cases you have 60 days from the life event to enroll in new coverage. If the changes qualify you for more or less savings, it’s very  important to make adjustments as soon as possible we cannot stress this enough. If you like this information support your local Utah health insurance agent.  Contact a local a Utah health insurance agent to guide you in the right direction. Put your zip code in below.

 

6 health insurance terms Nevada residents need to know.

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6 Health insurance terms Nevada residents need to know.

  • Premium A premium is a fixed amount you pay to your insurance plan, usually every month. You pay this even if you don’t use medical care that month.
  • Deductible If you need medical care, a deductible is the amount you pay for care before the insurance company starts to pay its share. Once you meet your deductible, your insurance company begins to cover some costs of your care. Some plans have lower deductibles, like $250. Some have higher deductibles, like $2000. Many plans provide preventative services and sometimes other health care, before you’ve met your deductible.
  • Copayment A copayment is a fixed amount you’ll pay for a medical service after you’ve met your deductible. For example, after meeting your deductible you may pay $35 for a visit to the doctor’s office that would cost $125 if you didn’t have coverage. The health plan pays the rest.
  • Coinsurance Coinsurance is similar to copayment, except it’s a percentage of costs you pay. For instance, you may pay 30% of the cost of a $100 medical bill. So you would pay $30 and the health plan would pay the rest.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum This is the total amount you’ll have to pay if you get sick. For example, if your plan has a $3000 Out of pocket maximum, once you pay $3000 in deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments the plan will pay for any covered care above that amount for the rest of the year.
  • No yearly or lifetime limits Health plans in the HealthCare Marketplace can’t put dollar limits on how much they’ll spend each year or over your lifetime to cover essential health benefits. After you’ve reached your out-of-pocket maximum, your insurance company must pay for all of your covered medical care with no limit according to the affordable care act ACA or the marketplace. Now that you’re are familiar with a few basic terms you now will be able to get your free health insurance quote at Nevadahealth.com just enter your zip code below or call us at  702-410-8002.

Do I have to buy health insurance?

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Do I have to buy health insurance?

A: If you are currently living in Utah and uninsured, then yes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, all U.S. citizens will be required to have health insurance or pay the penalty.  The penalty for 2014 is $95 per adult, $47.50 per child, $285 for families, or 1 percent of annual household income, whichever is greater. There are certain exceptions: religious affiliation, membership to an Indian tribe, citizens living abroad, and undocumented immigrants may not have to comply. And if you already have health insurance through your employer, you don’t have to worry about buying health insurance.  Some hardship exemptions exist here is a list subject to change at anytime

The penalty increases every year. For example in 2015 it’s 2% of income or $325 per person. In 2016 and later years it’s 2.5% of income or $695 per person. After that it’s adjusted for inflation. This is subject to change at anytime though it looks like this is what the penalties will be.

If you’re uninsured for just part of the year, 1/12 of the yearly penalty applies to each month you’re uninsured. If you’re uninsured for less than 3 months, you don’t have to make a payment.

You’ll pay the fee on your 2014 federal income tax return. Most people will file this return in 2015. Make sure you plan ahead and make any changes with the marketplace if you’re getting a health subsidy. You don’t want to end up with a tax bill

 

List of 14 Hardship exemptions

If you have any of the circumstances below that affect your ability to purchase health insurance coverage, you may qualify for a “hardship” exemption in Utah

  1. You were homeless.
  2. You were evicted in the past 6 months or were facing eviction or foreclosure.
  3. You received a shut off notice from a utility company.
  4. You recently experienced domestic violence.
  5. You recently experienced the death of a close family member.
  6. You experienced a fire, flood, or other natural or human-caused disaster that caused substantial damage to your property.
  7. You filed for bankruptcy in the last 6 months.
  8. You had medical expenses you couldn’t pay in the last 24 months which resulted in substantial debt to you.
  9. You experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled, or aging family member.
  10. You expect to claim a child as a tax dependent who’s been denied coverage in Medicaid and CHIP, and another person is required by court order to give medical support to the child. In this case, you do not have the pay the penalty for the child.
  11. As a result of an eligibility appeals decision, you’re eligible for enrollment in a qualified health plan QHP through the Marketplace, lower costs on your monthly premiums, or cost-sharing reductions for a time period when you weren’t enrolled in a QHP through the Marketplace.
  12. You were determined ineligible for Medicaid because your state didn’t expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
  13. Your individual health  insurance plan was cancelled and you believe other Marketplace plans are unaffordable.
  14. You experienced another hardship in obtaining health insurance.

When can I sign up for health insurance in Nevada?

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Q: When can I sign up for health insurance in Nevada?

A:  Sign for Nevadans  is set for November 15, 2014 effective date coverage starts January 1, 2015. Sign up December 16, 2014 to January 15, 2015; coverage starts February 1, 2015. Sign up January 16, 2015 to February 15, 2015; coverage starts March 1, 2015. These dates are subject to change at anytime please check with your local Nevada health insurance agent to make sure you’re applying for the correct effective date or just visit NevadaHealth.com to compare rates and plans

 

 

What is the Nevada health insurance marketplace

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Q: What is the Nevada health insurance marketplace?

A: The Nevada health insurance marketplace or also known as the obamacare or healthcare marketplace, is an online health insurance marketplace where consumers can shop for and buy health insurance during open enrollment periods (the current open enrollment runs from Nov 15, 2014  through Feb 15th, 2015). The idea is to be able to compare health plan choices, determine if you are eligible for a tax credit (called a subsidy) to help pay for your plan, and find out if you qualify for Medicaid, the federal insurance program for the poor. If your interested to know how much it will cost you with out giving out your email, phone number and name visit nevadahealth.com

Healthcare Marketplace

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The Healthcare Marketplace, sometimes known as the “health insurance marketplace” or even obama care has some very important things you should know about coming into 2014 and open enrollment coming this year for 2015   As everyone knows Marketplace Open Enrollment ended March 31st. But You can still buy a healthcare Marketplace plan  if you qualify for a special enrollment period.  Here is a  partial list of the special enrollments or qualifying events that you may qualify for under the health care marketplace.

Examples of qualifying life events under “health insurance marketplace”

  • Marriage
  • Having a baby
  • Adopting a child or placing a child up for adoption or foster care
  • Moving outside your insurer’s coverage area A great example would be moving from California to Utah, or Texas to Florida.
  • Losing other health coverage (including; due to losing job-based coverage, divorce, the end of an individual policy plan year in 2014, COBRA expiration, aging off a parent’s plan, losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP, and similar circumstances. Important: Voluntarily ending coverage doesn’t qualify you for a special enrollment period. Losing coverage that doesn’t qualify as minimum essential coverage doesn’t qualify either.)
  • Gaining citizenship
  • Leaving incarceration

 

You can also apply for Medicaid and CHIP any time. Learn about special enrollment periods and other coverage options after Open Enrollment you will want to check with you local state or medicaid office.

Open Enrollment for 2015 coverage starts November 15, 2014. The “Health Insurance Marketplace” helps uninsured people find health coverage. The first thing you will want to do is get help and find an agent in your local area that can help you sort through the vast amounts of health insurance plans.  Call-801-900-5636

Virtually all of the new Plans cover essential health benefits, pre-existing conditions, and preventive care. In most states you will get Lower costs based on your household size and income. Though not all states have passed medicaid so check your local state for updates on income requirements.

You can preview plans available in your area right now if wish. Most people who apply will qualify for lower costs but if you do not qualify and make to much money for 2014 or 2015 you can buy a private health insurance plan off the exchange.

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These programs cover millions of families with limited income. If it looks like you qualify, we’ll share information with your state agency and they’ll contact you. But just to recap not all states are expanding Medicaid in 2014 to cover more people. Find out what Medicaid expansion means for you with your local medicaid office.

Many people are eligible to use the Marketplace and in most cases you will be able to tell if you qualify for any of the programs very quickly. It should not take you more than a few hours to get through the application.  Most people must have health coverage in 2014 or pay a penalty. If you don’t have coverage, you’ll pay a fee of either 1% of your income, or $95 per adult or aprox ($47.50 per child), whichever is higher. You’ll pay this  fee on your 2015 income taxes. Some people may qualify for an exemption to the fee or a hardship exemption based on income or other factors. Another item to remember  If you buy outside the health care Marketplace, you will not be eligible for the  premium tax credits or lower out-of-pocket costs based on your income.

Qualifiying events for Special Enrollment periods ACA

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Qualifying events for special enrollment periods or SEP

 

The Affordable Act makes it very clear that special enrollment periods, which fall outside of the annual open enrollment period, must be made available to everyone.  A special enrollment period is would be a time when a qualifying event occurs that would make you eligible to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan outside of the annual open enrollment period.

 

What’s a qualifying event?

 

A qualifying event is an event that takes place in your life that would make eligible to qualify for a special enrollment period or SEP.

 

Here are some examples of qualifying events this is not the entire list so you should contact your health insurance broker for help.

 

  • Loss of Essential Health Coverage: If you lose, or have one of your dependents lose health coverage that meets minimum government standards.
  • A Change in Family Structure: If you gain a dependent or become a dependent because of a marriage, death in the family, birth or adoption of a child or even having a new baby.
  • Change Citizenship Status: If you become a U.S. citizen, national, or gain lawful status in the U.S this would qualify you.
  • Experience Government Error:From not fault of your own,  If you lose, change or enroll in coverage because of an error committed by an officer, employee or agent of the Exchange or the Department of Health and Human Services as determined by the Exchange.
  • Change Subsidy Eligibility: If you are determined newly eligible or newly ineligible for subsidies “advance payments of the premium tax credit or cost sharing reductions”.
  • Move to a New Coverage Area: If you permanently move to a new area and gain access to new qualified health plans. Example You move from Colorado to Utah. Your new health plan will be in Utah

 

Basically A qualifying event is a change in your life that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in health coverage. Need Help Start your quote now

Buying Health Insurance Online – 5 Shopping Tips and Dangers

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Here are 5 Shopping Tips and Dangers you need to look out for when buying health insurance online.

1. Buy only from a locally licensed agent who provides a NPN number and FFM user ID number. The NPN number basically says that this agent has a license to sell insurance. The FFM user ID number is certification number only given out to agents that have been certified to sell or offer insurance through healthcare.gov.  Ask the agent for both of these if they do not have it leave the site and do not give out any information.

Here is our information about us does your website your looking at provide this?   If not they are just selling your information.

Agent -Donald Murray 

(NPN number)- 5449625

(FFM user ID)- ZipHound

*Note please use or write down the numbers above. This is very important.  When signing up for a health plan you will be asked if you’re using a agency or broker. By using our agency or broker name you will assigned a local Utah agent and not an out of state company. The cost to use our agency is FREE. If you leave that section blank you will be left on your own to figure out which plan and company best fits your needs.

2. Never give our your email or phone number to get a health insurance quote. No reason exists to give your email out or phone number to get a quote.  The only time you need to do this is when you apply for a plan. Notice we never ask for this information.

If you see a website that collects your email or phone number they are most likely selling your information for a profit to other agents. Or worse the are a lead company that are appearing look like an agency.

3. Copy cat websites and Logos.  You will notice that we do not put other insurance company logos on our site. Many websites do this to trick you into thinking that they are  the insurance company. We only provide logos when your getting an actual quote.  Many lead based companies steal and put logos on the site to appear like they are a real agency or website. Our advice leave the site.

4. Fake Phone numbers or shady out of state agencies.  One of best ways to know if an insurance agency is local is to see if they have local phone number. Our phone number  is 801-900-5636, notice everyone else uses a 1-855 number or 1-800 these companies are from out of state. Why deal with an unknown agency out of state when you can deal with a local agency that knows the market.

5. Keep your passwords private.Use a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols. Never use any part of your telephone number, birth date, Social Security number, or address. If someone calls your phone number requesting this just hang up.

Source Utahhealth.com

Ziphound agency

 

Health insurance companies in Utah

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Health insurance companies in Utah -Who do we go with?

We have broken down and gave a basic review of 6 health insurance companies in Utah. An important thing to remember is you will want to use a licensed local agent in Utah to help you choose a plan. It costs nothing to use an agent and they give valuable tips and can save you thousands of dollars.

SelectHealth offers HMO and HSA High Deductible Health Plans exchange plans through  three networks: Select:Value (10 hospitals, 1,300+ doctors), Select:Med (34 hospitals, 3,900+ doctors) and Select: Care (43 hospitals, 5,000+ doctors). An overview of  the Select Health plans sold on Utah’s exchange is available at Utahhealth.com. Select health  offers HMO exchange plans in Catastrophic through Gold tiers. They also off private health insurance plans off the exchange. These type of plans are for people who do not qualify for subsidy.

Select health in our opinion is one of the best companies and should be your first health insurance plan that you review. The offer an incredible amount of doctors to choose from on exchange or off the exchange. It seems they offer the same amount of doctors regardless if you qualify for subsidy.

 

Humana Medical Plan of Utah or Humana one. Established in 1974 in Louisville, Ky.  Humana is one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies with nearly 12 million members. Its network is very large it includes over 350,000 doctors, 3,000 hospitals and 50,000 pharmacies. Utah residents who buy a Humana exchange plan may not have access to the entire network of doctors and hospitals because the plans on the exchange for Humana have been reduced. Though the cost has been reduced also. Humana offers HMO exchange plans in every tier they even have one with the platinum plan.
Overall Humana one is a good company and should be also one of your first choices when looking at a health insurance plan in Utah. Please be careful while looking up your provider for humana one for an exchange product or one where you get subsidy. The amount of doctors that you get are drastically reduced as compared to the PPO plan they offer off the exchange.

BridgeSpan Health. BridgeSpan, established by Regence BlueCross BlueShield, is affiliated with a company called Cambia Health Solutions, a nonprofit health services company. In addition to Utah, the company offers health plans in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. BridgeSpan offers PPO exchange plans in Catastrophic through Gold tiers.

The BridgeSpan product is new so we don’t have much to give as far as a review goes.

Altius Health Plans. Altius Health is affliated with Coventry Health Care, a subsidiary of Aetna. The Coventry network includes over 5,600 hospitals, 585,000 doctors and over 62,000 pharmacies.  Altius offers HMO and POS exchange plans in Catastrophic through the Gold tiers. Altius also offer health insurance plans that are off the exchange.

Altius  has some comparable plans and has been around a while. Like with all the companies you will want to start first with a provider directory in which you can seek out your primary physician.

Arches Mutual Insurance or Arches health plan  got a $85 million federal loan, this new, nonprofit, member-governed, co-op offers HMO exchange plans in Bronze through Gold tiers. Arches has relationships with hospitals in all of Utah’s twenty-nine counties,

This is new company so we cannot give a review yet as we have no experience has how the claims are paid or how the customer service is.

Molina offers HMO exchange plans in Bronze through Gold tiers. We don’t have to much information on the plans or customer service with Molina.
Information is very limited and we cannot give anyone a fair review of this company.

Regardless of which plan you use you will want to use agent or broker in Utah to help you out. The cost is free and regardless of which plan you choose the price will be the same. Please make sure they have two things an NPN number and a FFM user ID number. This will certify that they’re licensed through the marketplace.

 

To get your Free health insurance in Utah enter your zip code below