Open enrollment for private health care coverage began last Saturday, November 15. I want to make sure that all of us have the information below to share with friends, family members and neighbors in the days ahead.
HealthCare.gov – a new way to apply for health insurance coverage
For Oregonians and small businesses enrolling or re-enrolling in health care coverage, that means a visit to the federal health insurance marketplace at HealthCare.gov. The Cover Oregon website is no longer accepting applications for coverage.
When Oregonians visit HealthCare.gov to enroll in coverage, they will be able to apply and enroll in one sitting using a fully automated system. And most people using the site will learn on the spot whether they and household members are eligible for the Oregon Health Plan or assistance in paying for private insurance, and the day on which their coverage begins. And they can shop for private plans in the same place right away.
HealthCare.gov is also for the Oregon Health Plan and we have created a companion site to help
On November 15, HealthCare.gov began accepting Medicaid applications as well. This is a big change for our clients. For the first time they will be able to apply online in one sitting and will receive an approval notice on the spot.
Most OHP clients will be best served through the federal website. There are some Oregonians, however, for whom the federal website isn’t the best way to apply for OHP. Pregnant women, tribal members, people with disabilities and others with special circumstances will be best served locally.
To help them get to the right place we’ve created a companion web page that will direct them either to HealthCare.gov or to a new online PDF application. That companion page is OregonHealthCare.gov and it has a few screening questions to help get people to the right place.
Thank you
I also want to take a moment to recognize the tremendous efforts of so many staff people at OHA, DHS and Cover Oregon who over the past year helped us make the transition to the federal website. While our work is not done, this is an important milestone to recognize. Thank you for making it happen. |
