November 1, 2019
If you’re among the many who purchase their own health insurance—whether as an individual, a couple, or a family—the 2020 Open Enrollment period kicks off November 1st and will run until December 15th of 2019. That said, if you need active health insurance benefits on the first day of January 2020, the last day to enroll for coverage is December 15th. It’s also worth noting that the deadline for Medicare Enrollment is December 7th 2019.
All of these relatively-new limited windows and enrollment deadlines can be a bit of a shock to anyone who’s buying a plan on their own for the first time. So in an effort to help those new, as well as those savvy to the process, we thought we would present a few tips on how to make this year’s Open Enrollment process as affordable, efficient and drama-free as possible.
Familiarize Yourself with All Available Coverage Options
It’s easy to get pigeonholed when shopping for health insurance, especially for those who’ve become accustomed to simply auto-renewing whatever coverage they have at the time of Open Enrollment. For anyone looking to keep their premiums affordable without having to sacrifice the quality of coverage they receive, it can be wise to explore all of today's options to ensure that you’re in the plan best suited for your unique needs. You can do this on your own or through the assistance of a local health insurance agency.
Reconsider Waiting Until the Last Days of Open Enrollment
Like any time-crunched American, many have become hard wired to wait until the last moment to address deadlines. And while that may be fine for making a hotel reservation, it’s not a good idea when purchasing health insurance in a remarkably-limited 6 week time frame. By the fourth week, things get a little bonkers. Agents’ phones ring off the hook, computer networks crash in the wake of surging new traffic, and carriers become overwhelmed trying to process everything being sent to them. Avoid the madness and take care of things early, preferably during the first or second week of November to be safe.
Read All Notifications Carefully for Network or Coverage Changes
The industry’s major carriers (BlueCross BlueShield, Humana, etc.) routinely make changes to the coverage plans they offer, as well as the physician and hospital networks associated with each plan type. And while many of their most popular plans tend to remain intact, even popular plans can, and have, been dropped in the past. This makes it especially important to read any mail or email that they’re sending you. If you learn that the plan you’ve had for years is being dissolved, it’s important to choose new coverage before the December 15th cutoff.
Let a Licensed Health Insurance Agent Do the Work for You
It astounds us that people go about the process of comparing and selecting plans on their own, especially when you consider that (most) agents charge nothing for their services and there is no discounting in our industry, whatsoever. Everyone gets the same quote based on their criteria, and brokers know everything that’s available, new, and ideally-suited for people of every age, lifestyle and household. If you have any doubts or nerves going into the process, spare yourself the stress and possibility of application mistakes that can be grueling to correct, by simply calling a local health insurance agent.
Premier Makes Healthcare Open Enrollment Easy and Affordable
Since 2003, Premier Financial Insurance has been unconditionally committed to helping individuals and families get the best rates and coverage when shopping for health insurance. Whether you’re in the Lisle/Naperville area, in Chicago, or somewhere in the Illinois heartland, our staff of licensed agents are here to make the enrollment process effortless. There are no fees for our services, and under no circumstances will you ever be pressured to enroll through us.
To learn more about getting the most from your 2020 IL health insurance plan, or to schedule time to meet with an agent at our location or yours, get in touch with Premier by phone at 800-369-0287 or email our agency anytime through our website’s secured contact page.