Healthcare Coverage Options and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on healthcare coverage has been significant. Many individuals were laid off from jobs or had working hours reduced due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. If you had employer-based health insurance, this may mean you have lost your healthcare coverage. Additionally, those who suffered from COVID-19 might be experiencing complications from the disease, needing to seek additional care than they previously utilized. If you currently find yourself without healthcare coverage, or have coverage that is not comprehensive or affordable, it is important to understand your options.

Medicaid

For many families, especially those living in states that have expanded their Medicaid program, a reduction in your income may make you eligible for Medicaid. Even if you live in a state that has not expanded Medicaid, you may still qualify for Medicaid if you are a parent of a dependent child. If you are currently enrolled in Medicaid, make sure that Medicaid has your current mailing address, phone number, email or other contact information. This way, they'll be able to contact you about coverage when you need to renew.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Children may be eligible for coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), even if their parents do not qualify for Medicaid. Income limits in CHIP are higher than those in Medicaid. If your child is currently enrolled in CHIP, make sure that the program has your current mailing address, phone number and other contact information. 

Marketplace Coverage

From November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023 (in most states), you can visit HealthCare.Gov to review your coverage options for 2023. A new federal law increases financial assistance for people at all income levels and many individuals will qualify for a plan with zero premium, so you should check if you qualify even if you have not in the past. Four out of five enrollees will be able to find plans that cost less than $10 a month. Individuals with lower incomes (less than $34,545 for a family of three) can enroll at any time through a special enrollment period in most states. You can enroll in coverage or find information on your state's marketplace at HealthCare.Gov. Read more about how the marketplace works and choosing the right plan for lung disease patients.

COBRA

If you lose job-based coverage, you may have the option of continuing healthcare enrollment for 18-months through a law called COBRA. If you are eligible for COBRA coverage continuation, your employer must tell you. Usually, employers do not have to contribute toward COBRA premiums, so this is likely to be more expensive than your job-based coverage was.

Eligibility for COBRA does not exclude you from eligibility for other sources of health insurance, such as plans on the marketplace or Medicaid. However, once you enroll in COBRA, you are ineligible for marketplace subsidies and would not qualify for another marketplace special enrollment period if you dropped COBRA coverage. If you are eligible for multiple forms of healthcare coverage, you should compare the costs, covered benefits and provider networks of all of your options before you make a selection.

Buyer Beware!

Make sure you and your family choose quality health insurance and know the risks of junk health plans that do not provide comprehensive coverage.

You may see advertisements for or hear of other plans that are cheaper than marketplace plans, but new financial assistance makes marketplace coverage more affordable, so you should check out your options for marketplace coverage again even if they seemed too expensive in the past. "Junk" plans are less expensive because they provide much more limited coverage, limit benefits significantly, and do not have to cover pre-existing conditions. Some examples of skimpy plans are short-term, limited-duration plans, farm bureau plans and health sharing ministry plans. Read more about the risk of these plans to lung disease patients.