How to get medical insurance in case of COVID-19 in the USA: special registration periods are open

Since the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV continues to spread throughout the United States, Americans are understandably worried about the high cost of treatment. The most vulnerable are those who do not have health insurance. In this case, some states may offer assistance, reports HuffPost.

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The period of open registration for health insurance on state and federal exchanges intended for people who receive insurance on their own, and not through employers, ended a few months ago. But people who want to take out a medical insurance, since they lost it or suddenly decided to get it, have the opportunity to buy it, although the options will vary depending on the state.

Exchanges in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington State were reopened as part of the “special period” in response to the growing number of Americans who became infected or might become ill with COVID-19.

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Special periods allow uninsured US residents to protect themselves from potential high medical expenses. But time to take out insurance is limited in all states. — until April, with the exception of the District of Columbia.

Most states do not declare registration for health insurance

The federal government has not announced a special registration period for people from 38 states using HealthCare.gov, but insurance is still possible.

Affordable Health Care Act, under certain circumstances, allows states to manage their own insurance markets in other cases. — to the federal government, introduce special registration periods like this.

“Special registration periods are necessary for all trading floors - both state and federal, — said Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health care reform at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington. — However, there is freedom of action. States with their own trading floors and websites, because of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, have decided to establish a special registration period. ”

People who have purchased alternative forms of health insurance, such as short-term insurance, may also be eligible to purchase full insurance.

People with incomes from the federal poverty level up to 400% of this amount (from $ 12 to $ 760 per person) may be eligible for tax benefits that reduce monthly insurance premiums.

Those who earn up to 250% of the poverty level (up to $ 31 per person) can apply for additional help, which reduces costs. Anyone who is offered employer health benefits is not eligible to receive tax benefits.

As of March 19, nine states and the District of Columbia have the following registration deadlines:

• Covered california - April 30
• Connect for Health Colorado - April 3
• Connecticut Medical Center CT Access - April 2
• Health Connection Maryland - April 15
• Health Connection Massachusetts - April 25
• Health Link Nevada - April 15
• State of Health in New York - April 15
• Rhodes Island HealthSource RI - April 15
• Healthplanfinder Washington - April 8
• DC Health Link DC - June 15

In other states, people may also have a chance to get insurance coverage if they need it. The same special registration periods allow customers around the world to register for health insurance under certain circumstances, even if HealthCare.gov and government agencies in Idaho, Minnesota and Vermont remain closed.

One of the main reasons that a person can get insurance after the end of the annual open registration period is that his previous insurance is no longer valid.

Due to the growing number of people without jobs or on vacation due to the outbreak of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, this may concern a significant number of U.S. residents. Other changes in life, such as marriage, childbearing, divorce, moving or involuntary loss of health insurance for any reason, will also give people the opportunity to get it right now.

Medicaid always available

In addition to affordable private insurance, low-income people can qualify for Medicaid, and participation in this federal program is open year-round.

Typically, Medicaid is available only to adults earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($ 16 per person). The program may also be available for some specific groups, such as children, even in higher income families. Children from families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid may be eligible to participate in the Children's Health Insurance Program.

In the 14 states that refused to participate in the Affordable Care Act Enlargement Program, non-disabled adults and also underage children living at home are not eligible for Medicaid, regardless of how low their incomes are.

To support Medicaid during the 2019-nCoV coronavirus emergency, the federal government took two actions. For people who need this program, registration is simplified by reducing the requirements for income documents and speeding up the application. Additionally, the 2019-nCoV coronavirus relief legislation passed by Congress this week increases federal funding for state Medicaid programs.

There is currently no proposed special registration period established specifically because of the spread of COVID-19 disease. But Americans who do not currently have health insurance can find out if they are eligible for other special registration periods by visiting HealthCare.gov.

MNSure said they have no “no immediate plans” to open registration in response to the spread of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus.

Coronavirus 2019-nCoV "is not currently considered the basis for a special registration period for obtaining health insurance in Idaho," — I wrote in an email with the representative of Your Health in Idaho.

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The representative of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, which oversees the state health insurance exchange, did not answer the phone with a request for comment.

As reported by ForumDaily:

• A new virus was discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. In 2020, it covered all continents except Antarctica. On March 11, US President Donald Trump imposed a ban on entering the United States from EU countries. The ban came into force on Friday, March 13, and will last at least 30 days. In particular, it will concern people who have visited the Schengen area over the past 14 days.
• March 13 Trump due to coronavirus introduced a nationwide emergency regime in the US.
• On March 11, WHO recognized the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, which covered more than 110 countries. Symptoms of Coronavirus COVID-19 Disease Available here.
• Virologist's tips on how to protect yourself from infection - here to register:.
• Taking advantage of the panic in the society because of the epidemic, fraudsters came up with several schemes to deceive victims of personal data and money. The most common ones can be found here.
• Having succumbed to panic due to a state of emergency, Americans are massively buying toilet paperbut they cannot explain why they need it during the epidemic.
• Trump has signed into law on paid leave due to coronavirus. Who can count on paid leave, read here.
• Read all news about coronavirus in our special project.

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