Time to sign up for the Vermont Health Exchange

Are you a Vermont resident who has not yet enrolled in the Vermont’s health insurance exchange, Vermont Health Connect?
http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/it-time-sign-vermont-health-exchange

It is Time to Sign Up for The Vermont Health Exchange Submitted by admin on Tue, 02/04/2014 - 3:17pm By ANNE DEMPSEY The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -Are you a Vermont resident who has not yet enrolled in the Vermont’s health insurance exchange, Vermont Health Connect? “Time is running out”, says Wilda Pelton, a certified navigator for Vermont Health Connect at Valley Health Connections in Springfield. “Now is the time for all Vermont residents to think really seriously about this.” Those eligible for Medicaid can enroll at any time during the year. But for everyone else, people must sign up no later than March 15 in order to have health care coverage by April 1, 2014. After this deadline, residents without insurance, baring any life change circumstance, could be subject to a penalty and will lose the opportunity to sign up for a VHC plan in 2014. All medical services received by them will be their responsibility. The next chance people will have to enroll for VHC coverage will be the fall of this 2014. However, this enrollment period is for 2015 coverage – not for coverage of the remaining months in 2014. VHC plans are designed to make health care coverage more affordable for everyone. If all those eligible share the responsibility of carrying health insurance, hopefully, this will help to keep premium costs more stable. If you purchase health insurance as an individual and your household income is less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level ($34,470 for individuals or $70,650 for a family of four), you may be eligible for help to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Pelton is particularly concerned with the timely enrollment of certain subgroups of the Vermont population. She says that an estimated 15,000 people who have been enrolled in the state’s VHAP and Catamount health plans still need to make the transition to a VHC plan soon, because after March 31, VHAP and Catamount plans will be dissolved. Sole proprietors were able to extend their small group coverage through March, but must enroll as individuals for April first coverage. Uninsured people in Vermont who are not eligible for Medicaid have the same deadline. And so do employees of small businesses, whose employers are dropping health insurance benefits. In fact, employees, when filing as individuals, may be eligible for state sponsored discounts not available through an employer’s group plan. Enrollment consists of supplying some basic information about yourself - like your household size & your income - and selecting a specific health plan from a menu of Blue Cross Blue Shield & MVP plans offered to you by VHC. There are 3 ways to enroll: 1) Online at: vermonthealthconnect.gov (Wilda Pelton says, “The system is working much better.”) 2) By VHC toll-free phone line: 1-855-899-9600 or 3) Or people can call Springfield’s Valley Health Connections office @ 802-885-1616 to set up an appointment with a certified navigator. Pelton encourages you to do so. Three navigators work in this office, and there are open slots in their schedule. So hurry. Don’t miss your chance at being covered.