Residents applying for Plano Health Insurance may breathe a sigh of relief when the most recent repeal effort for Obamacare failed to reach a vote.
The most recent vote on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has issued a sigh of relief for Plano Health Insurance applicants. However, relief may be short lived for Plano residents, for premium rates for 2018 are expected to increase by at least 20% in Texas.
September 27th was the deadline for insurance carriers to submit plans and rate changes on the ACA exchange – what many call Obamacare. News from the Texas Department of Insurance is sobering: Fewer choices and higher premiums.
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Texas is the only insurer participating in all 254 counties in Texas on the individual exchange. Blue Cross and Blue Shield's premium increase is expected to deter many in Plano and other cities from purchasing health insurance this year. “The total cost of ownership will simply be too high. Premiums and deductibles are out of control, with many doctor's not accepting the HMO network; the only network used by BCBS", says Plano health insurance agent John Thornton.
Carriers such as United Health Care, Aetna and Humana have already pulled out of the State, leaving BCBS as the only major carrier left with Molina and Ambetter insurance companies servicing very targeted counties in large Metro areas such as Dallas-Fort-Worth. The vast-majority of ACA enrollees – about 84 percent nationally – qualify for a premium subsidy, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The reduction or withdrawal of insurers and the lack of a guarantee from the federal government of subsidies for people with moderate incomes is the cause of rate increases for health insurance in Plano, Texas and surrounding cities.
The enrollment period for 2018 insurance runs from this Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, which is the shortest it’s ever been. Federal health officials have announced it will shut down the website for maintenance from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Sunday during open enrollment except for Dec. 10.
Insurance counselors advise keeping a close eye on any mailings from current insurers and from the federal marketplace. These letters will tell applicants if they are being “auto-renewed” into the same plan or shifted to another plan with a different company. The first premium payment for 2018 coverage must be made by Dec. 31, 2017.
There are guidelines posted for patients and doctors on Healthcare.gov to help with an enrollment process that’s likely to be turbulent. Advice for patients includes checking to see whether current health care providers will still be within network, and checking prescription coverage.
In conclusion, the Dallas Fort Worth Metro area, including Dallas health Insurance and Plano Health Insurance may surge and not be affordable for its city’s residents.
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