Individuals & Families Newsletter

With open enrollment now over, obtaining individual or family health insurance before the next open enrollment (currently scheduled for October 15 – December 7, 2014) is only possible with certain “life change” events.  Some of these events must result in a loss of...

It appears no more delays or postponements are in the works.  April 15 is the last day to enroll in a plan for individuals and families.  In the private marketplace (not CoveredCA) several carriers (Anthem Blue Cross, HealthNet, and Blue Shield) have kept their doors...

The Open Enrollment period was over March 31.  But wait!  Thanks to technical difficulties, a postponement to April 15 has been allowed for new enrollees. Covered CA (the public marketplace where subsidies are possible) will allow enrollment to April 15 as long as...

When the initial open enrollment period winds up at the end of March, the opportunity to purchase an ACA-compliant plan will close until the next open enrollment, which runs from October 15 through December 7th, 2014, for an effective date of January 1, 2015.  In the...

For decades the "Blues" (Blue Shield and Blue Cross) provided access to their nationwide provider network so you could stay in-network when out of state.  That was huge for families with sons or daughters in out-of-state colleges and a real advantage over HMO's and...

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know we’ve been gearing up for the important changes to our health care system. We’ve spent months preparing and planning for the most significant changes since the introduction of Medicare in 1966.  The key word here is...

Heading into the fourth week of health care open enrollment there is no shortage of opinion on how things are going.  Very few are favorable, and very few provide any help to the man/woman on the street.  From the trenches, the level of anxiousness is rising but...

Remember during the healthcare debate when President Obama was under pressure to allow people to keep their existing plan if they wanted to?  Well, in the healthcare bill there is a provision for that but it does not apply to everyone. If you are covered under a...

The curtain will rise soon on a new health insurance program, but it may feel more like a dress rehearsal than opening night.  The Federal government (and California) is in the process of launching the largest public entitlement program in its history so we can expect...

I am pleased to see there will be HSA compatible plans available in our new health care system. One of my first concerns after the Health Care Reform law passed was whether HSAs would be outlawed.  It has been no secret that the current administration is no fan of...