It’s finally here. Tomorrow, October 1, the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) new Health Insurance Marketplace will open for enrollment for those who are uninsured or those who currently pay too much for their insurance. You have until December 15 to sign up for your insurance to take effect on January 1, 2014, so there is plenty of time for you to explore your options and talk to your family about the right plan for you.
If you watch the video, you’ll notice that there are some people who will be left out of the ACA and unable to access insurance because some states have chosen not to expand Medicaid. Virginia is one of the states that still needs to expand. But, there is hope and you can help!
Virginia’s Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission (MIRC), the body responsible for reforming and expanding Medicaid, will be meeting again on Tuesday, October 15. They need to hear from you! If you are able to attend the meeting, it will be held at the General Assembly Building in Richmond in House Room D at 1 p.m. The purpose of that meeting is to hear from the public, so it is important that people attend. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please consider making a comment in support of Medicaid expansion.Please click here to be taken MIRC’s public comment submission page.
By now, you’ve likely heard that the government is going to shut down at midnight (September 30). A government shut down will not affect the opening of the Health Insurance Marketplace. Funding for the ACA comes from sources not affected by the shutdown.
As more information becomes available, we will post to our website, Facebook page, and Twitter. Later this week, Enroll Virginia! will have more information on their website about how to get help signing up for insurance in the new Marketplace.
Open enrollment closes on March 31, 2014 and there are some rules about when you can enroll and when coverage will begin. Please be sure to visit www.healthcare.gov for more information on enrollment dates and coverage start dates.
Don’t forget to share this information with your family and friends that might need to get health insurance coverage!
