Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Has Changed

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obama Care as many of us have come to know it, is upon us. However, for the first time since its inception it has a different spin. This is the first year that Barack Obama is not in office since the ACA was signed into office in March of 2010. I point this out not simply to make a nostalgic point but also because of the changes that have occurred since our change of administration in the country. From this change, fundamental aspects of the ACA program have also been changed from what many had gotten used to in prior years and if one is not prudent to keep up with these changes, this can cause deleterious effects.

Lack of Promotion

One thing you might have noticed is that those recurrent ads that you became used to on your television, radio and in print have drastically decreased. Advertisements for open enrollment for the ACA has been cut by 90 percent this year. That’s a cut from $100 million previously to $10 million currently allocated. If you’re relying on those advertisements as your reminder, time to find a new strategy, as you won’t be seeing many of those.

Shortened Enrollment Period

The total time period allotted for enrollment has also decreased this year. In prior years, enrollment lasted…
…approximately 12 weeks. This is in great contrast to this year where only 6 weeks are allocated. Open enrollment, in most states, is from November 1, 2017 to December 15, 2017. I say most because there are selected states where an expansion has been given, but not many.

Find out the exact dates for your state but keep in mind it’s likely that your state hasn’t expanded the deadline. The cut in advertisements combined with the shorter time period essentially means you have a greater chance of missing out on this crucial enrollment and forgoing coverage for the entire 2018 year.

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Penalties for Lack of Insurance

Not only does potentially missing the shortened open enrollment period mean that you will not have coverage for 2018, but to add insult to injury, it also means your pockets will be hurting as well. You see, health coverage is still a law, and not having this coverage means you will be penalized come tax season. Yes, you read right, you’d get no insurance, but you do get a penalty. This isn’t new, but the shortened enrollment period increases the likelihood of being penalized. So, be sure to catch this enrollment period, and don’t let these changes keep you from possible lifesaving healthcare coverage for 2018.

The official marketplace website for enrollment is www.healthcare.gov.

Dr. Sarepta Isaac, DPM, MBA is a practicing physician in Atlanta specializing in Podiatry. Known as “Atlanta’s Healthcare Advocate,” her passion is to motivate, educate and advocate for better healthcare for her patients. She is a sought-after speaker and health and wellness contributor to various publications and magazines. During her free time, she enjoys writing in her personal health and wellness blog and can be found enjoying various forms of exercise including cycling and swimming.