If you lost their job due to COVID-19 and subsequently lost health insurance, you may be planning to apply for health insurance through the online marketplace for the first time.
Before you enroll, you need to know a few things:
- Pennsylvania transitioned from healthcare.gov to Pennie.com
- Open enrollment starts Sunday, November 1
- December 15 is the last day to apply for coverage that starts January 1, 2021
- Open enrollment ends January 15, 2021
- If you are currently enrolled through HealthCare.gov, you will be transitioned to Pennie for 2021 coverage
- Anyone who needs health coverage may be eligible for coverage under Pennie, which includes both health and dental plans
Pennie is the online home of the Pennsylvania Insurance Exchange. Pennie replaced HealthCare.gov for Pennsylvanians.
You can browse health insurance plans and compare coverage and cost on the Pennie website, which was designed to be more user-friendly than healthcare.gov. Nearly 9 out of 10 enrollees will be offered financial assistance to subsidize their premium, and all will find reduced premiums compared to last year.
Rates for 2021 premiums purchased through Pennie will be an average of 3% lower than plans purchased last year through healthcare.gov in 2020.
All plans sold through Pennie must be comprehensive, meaning they will cover all 10 Essential Health Benefits (EHB), including pregnancy, maternity care, treatment for mental health and substance abuse disorders, and emergency care.
You cannot be denied enrollment due to pre-existing conditions.
The program was restructured to make coverage more affordable, to simplify the process, and provide more direct assistance to people seeking to enroll.
Your family size and annual income will determine if you are eligible for financial assistance. If you have shopped through the online marketplace before and did not find affordable insurance, you should try again.
Typically, a person estimated to earn less than $51,000 a year – or a family of four estimated to earn less than $105,000 – would likely qualify for financial assistance to lower the monthly premium payment and/or out-of-pocket expenses.
Learn more about Pennie here, and get covered!
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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