Marylander’s have just 6 days till the first, and arguable the most important deadline of the individual open enrollment period. December 15th is the last day to enroll in coverage that starts the first of the year. Since the period started November 1st many have had plenty of time to decide what options will be best for them in 2017.
However, with Evergreen Health’s latest announcement that forced them to withdraw from the individual and family market due to a restructuring of the company, many are left scrambling. The Maryland Health Connection (the health exchange in Maryland) provides the means to receive an advanced tax credit to offset the cost of premiums throughout the year, has made a special provision to extend the time to December 31st for anyone affected by this latest change. That doesn’t mean everything is solved, when the person selects a new insurance company they still have to send premium payment and the company must process that payment before the policy is in force. The deadline for paying the January bill is December 28th but this may get extended for those affected, but not more than a few days.
In addition, nothing has been addressed for those who do not qualify for a subsidized health plan. Those who do not qualify normally enroll directly with the carrier or with the assistance of an agent or broker. The deadlines have not been extended for those who are not enrolled through the exchange. To add insult to injury, those who have already paid their January payment to Evergreen Health will receive a refund, but at a time of year that already stretches our wallets many may will be paying twice and waiting for a refund.
If you are personally affected by this change with Evergreen Health we offer our assistance free of charge to help find the most affordable options and make this transition as smooth as possible.
