Five Tips for the final Health Insurance Signups, Dec. 9

(Salem) – Time is running out for people who want health insurance in 2020 but do not get coverage through their job or the Oregon Health Plan. Sunday, Dec. 15, is the last day to enroll in a health plan through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, our state’s pathway to subsidized coverage. About 100,000 uninsured Oregonians may be eligible for help paying for their health insurance, but signups in Oregon are lagging so far this year. To get coverage or re-enroll in a plan, follow these five tips: Tip No. 1: Get a quick estimate of your subsidy and bottom-line cost of coverage. Go to OregonHealthCare.gov/windowshop to see the size of the subsidy you may qualify for, and what your plan may cost once that financial assistance is factored in. People whose incomes are just above the limit for the Oregon Health Plan can find plans costing them as little as $1 per month, when they meet all eligibility requirements. Tip No. 2: Get free, local help enrolling. Licensed insurance agents and certified community partners are ready to help you complete the application for subsidies, and sort through plan options. Choose an agent or partner in the directory at OregonHealthCare.gov/gethelp, or call the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-855-268-3767 (toll-free). Tip No. 3: Get to know the new benefits in some plans. Consumers have reported that large deductibles on the lowest-priced plans sometimes keep them from getting care. In response, the state redesigned some plans to allow more services before the plan’s deductible is met. For the first time, plans with the words “standard bronze” in their name all cover primary care office visits for a flat $45 co-pay, even when the plan’s $7,900 deductible has not been met. This plan type is among the options with a net cost of $1 per month for single people making about $19,000 a year and meeting a few other qualifications. Tip No. 4: Hear from people who have gotten subsidies through the Marketplace. Health plan specifics matter, but so does the human impact of having coverage you can afford. If you need a two-minute break from insurance details, listen online to other Oregonians describe their experience with subsidized coverage at http://bit.ly/subsidy-testimonials. Tip No. 5: Don’t miss the deadline. The deadline to enroll is Sunday, Dec. 15. If you miss it, you may go a year without health insurance. Avoid the risk and get started at OregonHealthCare.gov.