Why One Website Has Become The Go-To Place To Get Health Insurance
With the cost of healthcare out of control, more and more individuals are visiting healthcare.gov to find affordable health insurance.
As the debate about health insurance rages on, there is one website that helps cut through the noise. Its goal is to get Americans connected with the right plan at a reasonable price. And the good news is that no one has to navigate it alone.
Health insurance is a touchy subject. Everyone has strong opinions about how our healthcare system gets run. But there are two things we almost all agree on.
The cost of health insurance is exorbitant. And navigating the confusing world of insurance marketplaces is frustrating. However, you don’t have to face that frustration alone.
In a traditional workplace, a point person (often HR) will help walk staff through the various plan options. While they cannot necessarily give advice, they are more familiar with the coverage options. And that slight bit of extra knowledge helps calm the frayed nerves of employees.
The only problem is that not all employees are eligible for work-sponsored health insurance. For example, new hires are typically not eligible for coverage for a set period after they start. Additionally, part-time employees often have different plan options or are not even offered health insurance coverage.
And in our current economy, there is an increasing shift. Workers often opt to join the gig economy so they can be their own bosses. However, self-employed individuals have no company-based health insurance option to tap into.
So you have a growing group of Americans potentially in the lurch. In the past, this group of workers could still obtain health insurance. But it wasn’t offset by employer contributions, so the plans got astronomically expensive.
Additionally, there was no one to help navigate the options or point you in the right direction. That all changed with the launch of Healthcare.gov. This website is the home of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare.
Consumers can effectively “shop” for their insurance plans on this site. And it is fairly easy to navigate. Enter a few details, and the computer system will narrow down the plan options.
But there are still tons of available plans. So sorting through all of them is challenging and overwhelming. That’s where the site’s navigators come in.
According to NPR, “The Affordable Care Act created a program of “navigators” – people across the country who are trained to help consumers understand their options and get signed up for a health plan. It’s a service paid through government grants.” Most of them work in independent organizations and non-profits, so their only motivation is supporting the individuals.
Another draw for the site is its increasing affordability. And that is good news for anyone out of work, working part-time, or part of the gig economy. Now those people don’t have to choose between health insurance and risking a sky-high hospital bill due to non-coverage.
“Health officials say 4 out of 5 enrollees qualify for plans that cost $10 or less per month. And 5 million people who are uninsured qualify for zero dollar premium plans, according to a recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.” So, if you haven’t signed up for health insurance, now is the time to look at your options!
