Complete Care with BlueCare.
Enroll from now to August 15
See if you qualify for financial assistance (step 1) and purchase BlueCare plans on the Marketplace (healthcare.gov).
You can also buy directly from Blue Cross.
You can enroll in a BlueCare plan directly with Blue Cross or shop on the Health Insurance Marketplace (healthcare.gov)
If you don't have health insurance through a job, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or another source that provides qualifying health coverage, the Marketplace can help get you covered. You may even be able to get savings based on your income.
Call our team at 866-679-7824.
We can answer your questions and walk you through how you can enroll online.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significantly changed the U.S. health care system, bringing guaranteed issue of coverage, tax credits, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Here's what Kansans like you need to know right now:
The ACA provides greater access to health insurance by making it possible for anyone, regardless of their current or previous health condition, to purchase health insurance. It also mandates that all plans offered on the Marketplace include the same essential health benefits and preventive services.
No matter what plan you purchase, you are guaranteed to have essential health benefits including coverage for: ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse disorders, prescription drugs, rehabilitative and habilitative services, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services, chronic disease management, and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.
Plans sold on the Marketplace also include preventive services you can receive with no cost-sharing involved. So things like breast and colon cancer screenings, screening for diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol, and routine vaccinations will all be provided without you having to pay a copay, deductible or coinsurance as long as the primary purpose of the visit was for the recommended preventive service.
A number of Kansans will qualify for government assistance through an Advanced Premium Tax Credit or cost-sharing reductions. The tax credit is applied directly to your monthly payments.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas provides many options to help put you in control of your health care. When you choose a health insurance plan, you want to get the most out of your health care dollars. That is why you can purchase a plan directly from us with a short application process you can complete online!
If you're eligible for a tax credit, you'll need to go through the Marketplace. Benefits and pricing are the same, and you will have several options to consider.
Health insurance plans offered through the Marketplace and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas have different levels of coverage called “Metal Levels.” Levels are defined by the amount you pay in monthly premiums and how much your plan pays when you need care.
Open enrollment is typically only available Nov. 1 until Dec. 15 each year. However, a Special Open Enrollment Period running from Feb. 1 – Aug. 15 is now open to anyone without a life changing event. During all other times of the year, you will be able to get coverage under special enrollment periods, but only for life changing events such as:
The premium tax credit is an advance, refundable tax credit designed to help eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance purchased through the Marketplace. You can choose to have the credit paid in advance to your insurance company to lower what you pay for your monthly premiums, or you can claim all of the credit when you file your tax return for the year.
The benefit levels of many government assistance programs are based on federal poverty levels (FPL), however, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, there is no income limit on premium tax credits. Instead, you qualify for a premium tax credits if your premiums exceed 8.5 percent of your overall household income. Use our calculator above to estimate your cost savings.
You are eligible for the premium tax credit if you meet all of the following requirements:
Healthcare.gov - Health and Human Services' site dedicated to health care reform and home of the Health Insurance Marketplace
IRS.gov - Learn about tax implications associated with health care reform
Kaiser Family Foundation - Health policy, research and analysis tied to health care reform
Employer Responsibility Under the Affordable Care Act - As of 2015, larger employers will face penalties if they don't make affordable health benefits coverage available. This flowchart illustrates how those employer responsibilities work.
Health Insurance Marketplace calculator - Helpful tool from KFF that illustrates how tax credits will be calculated
Kansas Insurance Department - Find details specific to the State of Kansas Health Insurance Marketplace
WhiteHouse.gov - Special section on health care reform from the White House
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association - Perspectives and information from the national association
The health insurance marketplace (healthcare.gov) will reopen under a special enrollment period running from May. 15 through Aug. 15. This allows anyone who may be uninsured, or underinsured, to sign up for a 2021 health insurance plan.
When you apply for health insurance on the Marketplace (www.healthcare.gov), you can see if you qualify for a “premium tax credit” to lower the amount you pay each month for the insurance plan. The amount of the premium tax credit depends on your estimated household income for the year you want coverage.
How do you know if you are buying health insurance or a health benefit plan? Both are options Kansans will have as they consider their health coverage, but they are not created equal and some can leave you without necessary coverage.
