Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would be easy for people to re-enroll in their 2014 health coverage through the Marketplace for 2015 if they wished to keep the same plan.
“As we plan for open enrollment in year two and continue to build a sustainable long-term system, we are committed to simplifying the experience for consumers by allowing auto-enrollment,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a statement. “We are working to streamline the process for consumers wishing to remain in their current plan.”
Plans sold through private insurers and provided via employers have used this practice for years to make it easy for customers to retain coverage. The Marketplace now will use a standard insurance-industry practice.
What this means for you
This means if you want to keep the same plan for next year that you purchased through the Marketplace for 2014, you can automatically re-enroll in coverage. Keep your eyes out for a letter from HHS confirming your plan details with updated premium information.
But, you can make changes to your insurance too. You can revisit the system to shop, switch plans, report life changes or adjust your annual income to get the best deals on health insurance.
While some people may qualify for special enrollment now, for others open enrollment for coverage starting in 2015 begins on November 15, 2014 and ends on February 15, 2015.