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Tag: marketplace eligibility

I am in my early 60s and have signed up for a Marketplace plan so that I have health insurance coverage until I qualify for Medicare at age 65. What happens when I go on Medicare?

Written by Hummingbird Insurance on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

When you turn 65, you should sign up for Medicare and notify your Marketplace plan that you now qualify for Medicare coverage.  Your Marketplace coverage will not be cancelled automatically by your plan when you turn 65 and sign up for Medicare, but if you receive premium tax credits to help you pay for your Marketplace plan premium, your eligibility for these tax credits will end when your Medicare Part A coverage starts (people with Medicare are not eligible for these tax credits, and the premium tax credit can only be used for the purchase of Marketplace coverage, not Medicare).

If you choose to enroll in Medicare Part A and keep your Marketplace coverage, you will have to pay the full price for your Marketplace plan, and Medicare will be the primary payer.  If you were receiving financial assistance for your Marketplace coverage prior to signing up for Medicare, you will receive a letter in the mail from the Marketplace informing you that you are no longer eligible to receive this financial assistance since you are enrolled in Medicare Part A. You should contact your Marketplace plan to make sure that your financial assistance is stopped when your Medicare coverage begins. If you do not stop receiving the premium tax credit and other financial assistance for your Marketplace plan when your Medicare coverage begins, you may have to repay some or all of the amount of financial assistance you received for the months you had both types of coverage.

If you decide to drop your Marketplace coverage when you become eligible for Medicare, make sure your Medicare coverage has started before you cancel your Marketplace plan so that you avoid any gaps in coverage.  You can start signing up for Medicare three months before your 65th birthday.

I am turning 65 years old next month, but I am not entitled to Medicare without having to pay a premium for Part A because I have not worked long enough to qualify. Can I sign up for a Marketplace plan?

Written by Hummingbird Insurance on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

Yes, in general, people age 65 or older who are not entitled to premium-free Medicare can purchase health insurance coverage in the Marketplace (except undocumented immigrants).  If you sign up for a Marketplace plan, you will be eligible for premium tax credits to make the coverage in the Marketplace more affordable if your income is between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level ($12,140 to $48,560 for an individual in 2019).

Keep in mind that if you are able to continue working, you may be able to earn enough work history to qualify for premium-free Medicare in the future.  So another option for you to consider would be to sign up for Part A and Part B coverage when you turn 65 (you will have to pay a premium for both Part A and for Part B), and when you become eligible for premium-free Part A through your work history, you will then only have to pay a premium for Part B.

I am 54 and living with a permanent disability, and for the past 12 months I have been receiving Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) payments. But I do not have health insurance. I am required to wait another 12 months before I can go on Medicare due to the two-year waiting period for people receiving SSDI payments. Am I eligible to purchase health insurance coverage from a marketplace plan under the ACA? Am I eligible for a premium tax credit? And what about Medicaid?

Written by Hummingbird Insurance on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

Yes, you are eligible to purchase coverage through the Marketplace, and if your income is between 100% and 400% of poverty ($12,140 to $48,560 for an individual in 2019) you will qualify for premium tax credits to help make Marketplace coverage more affordable.  If you live in a state that has expanded its Medicaid program to cover adults under age 65 with incomes up to 138% of poverty (about $16,753 for an individual in 2019), you might also be eligible for this coverage, depending on your income.

If you apply for and receive Marketplace coverage and subsidies, keep in mind that your eligibility for Marketplace subsidies will end when your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage automatically begins after the two-year waiting period.  At that point, you will have to pay the full price for your Marketplace coverage, but you could instead drop your Marketplace coverage and enroll in Medicare Part A, Part B and Part D.  If you keep both Medicare and Marketplace coverage, Medicare will be the primary payer.

Once your Medicare coverage begins, depending on your income, you may qualify for Medicaid in addition to Medicare or for extra help with premiums and cost sharing for your Part D prescription drug benefits.  A good place to turn for information about these programs and whether you might qualify is your local Social Security Administration office or the State Health Insurance Assistance Program in your state.  Medicare provides links and phone numbers for these and other organizations at the following website: http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/.

I’m leaving my job and will be eligible for COBRA. Can I shop for coverage on the Marketplace instead?

Written by Hummingbird Insurance on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

Yes, leaving your job and losing eligibility for job-based health coverage will trigger a special enrollment opportunity that lasts for 60 days. You can apply for Marketplace health plans during that period. If you enroll in COBRA coverage through your former employer, however, you will need to wait to the next Marketplace Open Enrollment period if you want to switch to a Marketplace plan.

The Marketplace said I must submit additional information to document my eligibility (to buy coverage or to qualify for premium tax credits or to receive an exemption). They gave me 90 days, but I missed the deadline. Can I request an extension?

Written by Hummingbird Insurance on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

Generally, if the Marketplace hasn’t received the requested information within 90 days and you didn’t already ask for an extension, the Marketplace will make a determination based on the information it has.

I live in different states during the year. My summer home is in a northern state; my winter home is in a southern state. Where do I sign up for health coverage? And if I sign up for a plan in one state, how do I find in-network health providers in the other state?

Written by HummingbirdinsAdmin on . Posted in Frequently Asked Questions.

You should buy coverage in the state where you officially reside. Most states consider you a resident if you intend to make that state your permanent home. So-called “snowbirds” may own a second home and live part of the year in another state, but their official state of residence is where they spend most of the year, where they pay taxes, where they register their cars, or are registered to vote.

If you are buying coverage in your state of residency but spend a significant amount of time in a different state, you may want to explore plans offered by insurers that use a national provider network so that you could find participating providers in more than one state. You could also explore insurers that arrange to cover as in-network other insurers’ network providers. (For example, some, though not all “multi-state” plans, and some, though not all “multi-state” plans have such agreements.) You could also evaluate what out-of-network coverage, if any, your plan offers.