ACA Deadline - December 15 - Empower Brokerage

ACA Deadline – December 15, 2020

Only one week remains until the ACA Deadline. Get your ACA client’s policies renewed or changed, and your prospects enrolled in a Marketplace plan by December 15th. The ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for 2021 coverage runs from November 1 through December 15, 2020, in most states.

If individuals do not select a plan by December 15, they cannot enroll in a health insurance plan for 2021 unless they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

Important Dates

November 1, 2020: Open Enrollment started — the first day to enroll, re-enroll, or change a 2021 insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace®.
December 15, 2020: Last day to enroll in or change plans for 2021 coverage. After this date, your clients can enroll or change plans only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
January 1, 2021: 2021 coverage starts, if they have paid their first premium.

No COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) For HealthCare.gov

Some state exchanges such as California, Colorado, and Washington, D.C will be extending their open enrollment due to COVID-19. However, the federal government, which runs the marketplace for the majority of states on HealthCare.gov, is not currently extending open enrollment due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Outside the Open Enrollment Period, your client can enroll in a private health plan through the Marketplace only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). They can qualify for a SEP if they have a qualifying life event like having a baby, getting married, or losing minimal essential coverage. Learn more about Special Enrollment Periods and other coverage options outside Open Enrollment.

If your client missed open enrollment and does not qualify for a SEP, they can apply for a short-term plan for the part of the rest of the year, or start a new one on January 1st. Short-term plans are less expensive than many individual ACA plans but do not cover some of the essential health benefits such as maternity coverage, prescription drug coverage, mental health services, and more. A short-term plan can be a good option if your client doesn’t qualify for a SEP but needs coverage..

Using HealthSherpa

We recommend using the Health Sherpa platform, which is the quickest and easiest way to enroll clients in Obamacare plans. Health Sherpa is tied to healthcare.gov and uses a simple, clean interface that allows for the enrollment process to be streamlined. Health Sherpa is a less complex alternative to healthcare.gov where you can monitor and update existing plans, as well as create new ones.

Agents

We hope this information on the ACA Deadline is helpful to you.

Empower Brokerage is dedicated to helping you have a prosperous 2021 open enrollment season. Whether it’s through webinar training, one-on-one calls, seminars, or marketing plans. We want you to be successful. Give us a call if you have any questions at 888-539-1633.

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Need More Help? Contact our Product Specialist with questions about OEP deadlines, SEPs, or using HealthSherpa.