As the start of coverage for Qualified Health Plans in the Marketplace approaches, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) anticipates that some of the newly insured individuals will have questions about how to access healthcare services. CMS has posted information on Marketplace.cms.gov to address questions that consumers may have with the January 1 start of coverage through their selected health plan.
Individuals who have insurance for the first time or have new plans beginning on January 1 are likely to have many questions related to coverage, premiums payments, co-payments, and other issues and may need to reach their individual insurance plan. Below is information for consumers on how to access their health plans as well as education factsheets explaining how health insurance works.
- What to know about seeing your doctor
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/seeing-your-doctor.pdf - What to know about getting your prescription medications
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/getting-your-prescription-medications.pdf - Appealing your insurers' decision not to pay
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/appealing-your-insurers-decision-not-to-pay.PDF - I signed up, but don't have health coverage. What should I do?
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/signed-up-but-no-coverage.pdf - Getting emergency care
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/getting-emergency-care.pdf - What you should know about early renewal of health coverage
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/early-renewal-of-coverage.pdf - What you should know about provider networks
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/what-you-should-know-provider-networks.pdf - Contacting your Health Plan’s Customer Service Phone Number (includes a link to a database containing the customer service phone numbers for all of the Qualified Health Plans) https://data.healthcare.gov/dataset/QHP-Customer-Service-Phone-Numbers/vryg-tdzf?)
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/contact-health-plan.pdf
Payments of Premiums
The deadline to sign up for coverage to start January 1st was December 23rd.
We want to remind you that consumers need to pay their premium directly to the insurance company in order to have coverage by January 1, 2014. Consumers can pay when invoiced by the plan, call the issuer to make payment, or pay online if the plan accepts online payment. All consumers have until at least December 31 to pay for coverage effective January 1, although some insurance companies have extended this deadline. Consumers should check with their insurance company to find out when their first premium is due in order for coverage to be effective January 1. Consumers should also confirm with the issuer that their first month’s premium has been received and that enrollment is complete.
Please note that once a consumer selects a plan through the Marketplace, it may take the health plan 48-72 hours to receive and process the enrollment, so please encourage consumers to continue to periodically check back with their selected health plan. The insurance company will also send plan information and an insurance card to consumers who have completed enrollment including payment of the premium.
https://www.healthcare.gov/how-to-have-the-best-experience-with-healthcare-gov/#part=5
https://www.healthcare.gov/how-to-have-the-best-experience-with-healthcare-gov/#part=6
(Reposted from the Champions for Coverage December 27, 2014 email)
