Chicago, IL (March 11, 2014) – In response to new health insurance rules from the Obama Administration, GoHealth, the nation’s leading online exchange for individuals and families to compare and shop for health insurance, is urging consumers to explore their options before the national enrollment deadline of March 31.
According to the administration’s recent announcement, people with health insurance plans that fail to meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act can keep their plans until October 2017, if their states allow. However, GoHealth urges consumers to recognize that pre-existing plans may not have key benefits like maternity care or prescription drug coverage, which is now required for 2014 plans. Old plans also may not limit annual out-of-pocket spending.
“”With a new plan, you may get better benefits and have lower costs if you are eligible for subsidies. Conversely, many consumers are finding that 2014 plans have higher deductibles, so there may be a trade off for upgrading your plan in the form of increased risk,” said Michael Mahoney, senior vice president of consumer marketing at GoHealth.
Federal tax subsidies that make new insurance plans more affordable are available for 2014 plans, but cannot be applied to noncompliant plans.
“We want consumers to understand that they can only apply subsidies to new insurance plans. Sticking with an old plan could mean missing out on hundreds of dollars in savings each month,” said Brandon Cruz, president of GoHealth.
Consumers who want to upgrade from a noncompliant insurance plan must do so before open enrollment ends on March 31. Shoppers are encouraged to seek free expert advice from professionals like GoHealth’s licensed insurance advisors. These insurance professionals can legally recommend specific plans that fit the individual budgetary and medical needs of consumers, while assessing whether a grandfathered plan is the best option.
“Overall, we suggest that that everyone check out their options for free before the March 31st deadline. It would be a shame to miss the deadline only to find out you could have had better benefits, lower costs, or both,” said Mahoney.
