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Your Health is a must. Have you enrolled?

Let's talk about your health for 2019. Here's some information worth considering when looking for an insurance plan.

The first question I always get when meeting with my clients is “why does healthcare have to be so complicated?!”

No ‘and’s’, ‘if’s’ or ‘but’s’. Health insurance is about protecting both, your health and your finances. So it really doesn’t have to be!

These are the recommendations I give when discussing your health:

Listen to your body and analyze YOUR health: Have you had additional doctor’s visits as a consequence of your wellbeing? How healthy are you... really? Are you aware of hereditary health issues that might concern you, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s or breast cancer? Are you going through a medical issue that requires special attention?

The cost of your health insurance will depend on, well... your health. Writing down all your concerns and issues will be helpful during the road to choosing the right health insurance plan for you and your family.

Researching the best plans: There are many major health insurance companies in the market today. Researching which one if the best for you can be a daunting task. Theoretically speaking, current insurance plans should cover insurance cost without any significant additional costs. In other words, health insurers can no longer charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either. Once you have insurance, they can't refuse to cover treatment for your pre-existing condition.

Budget for your health: Working with a budget sounds frustrating, but necessary in selecting a health insurance plan. Research alternatives that may be able to provide for care, medications, prevention and wellness. Check with your doctor on current clinical trials that might help if dealing with a specific illness.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle: Turns out our parents where right! Eating healthy and exercising is the best strategy to prevent illness and stay healthy. The ways to being healthy include healthy eating, physical activities, weight management, and stress management. Specialists regard a healthy lifestyle with markers such as weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. My personal favorite is a 30-minute walk! It clears my mind and energizes me.

Stay informed: Open enrollment season typically takes place at the end of the year. If you live in California, the Open Enrollment season is extended until January 15th. There are specific circumstances where you can enroll in healthcare after the California deadline of January 15th, called “qualifying events”. These include:

Losing your job
Moving to a new state
Getting married or divorced
Becoming a widow or widower
Aging off your parent’s plan
Having a new baby

It is also good to know that if you miss the enrolment period, there are health insurance plans that are exempt of an open enrollment periods:

Medi-Cal and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) don’t have limits of enrollment. If you’re eligible for Medi-Cal, you’re allowed to enroll anytime. If you are traveling,
Short-Term Plans are available all year. There are some limitations to the plan, and they are typically Short-term health insurance such as traveler’s insurance doesn’t follow open enrollment, either. The plans are available all year round with the following caveats:

Please note that a Short-term plan is a quick solution for unexpected circumstances. Short term plans do not count towards tax credits like in the Affordable Care Act. You will be subject to penalties until you enroll in a regular health insurance plan.

The plans are available all year round with the following caveats:

These plans are good for when you have are traveling and your general coverage doesn’t include travel
You missed out on the Open Enrollment Period, and you didn’t qualify for special enrollment.
You applied for the Health insurance and are still waiting for it start.
You missed your company’s open enrollment and need a temporary health insurance while waiting for when you can sign up again.
You recently started a new job and have not yet been put under your company’s insurance plan.
You are under 65 years and almost ready for Medicare.
Your job or school requires you to get health insurance immediately.