If you are uninsured or are losing your health or dental insurance due to recent unemployment, you do have options to regain coverage under an individual plan. Through the Federal Exchange you may still qualify for premium assistance even if you are only enrolling yourself based on your household income and number of taxable dependents. But any level of coverage will help protect you from financial stress.
Federal Health Care Reform Resources
COBRA
Depending on the size of your employer, if you were covered by your employer’s health, dental and vision plans, you may qualify for COBRA insurance. Your employer or their administrator will send you a COBRA packet which will outline the benefits for which you are eligible along with your premium amounts. COBRA premiums can be expensive and often include an administration fee. Pay close attention to your deadlines to enroll and pay. For more information about COBRA, click here.
SPOUSAL COVERAGE
If you are married and your spouse has group insurance through his/her employer, generally you will have 30 days to add a spouse/child(ren) to your spouse’s coverage. Should your spouse work and have employer coverage, you may be eligible for coverage due to your qualifying event (loss of job coverage). Contact your spouse’s employer human resources department to find out if you qualify. There will be a deadline to notify the company and enroll.
UNDER AGE 26
If you are under the age of 26, you may still be eligible to become a covered dependent on your parent’s insurance. You do not have to live with your parents, be single or in college. If you have a spouse and children, they would not be eligible to have coverage with you under your parents’ plan. Your parents would have to add you as a dependent to their employer plan. There is a deadline to add you as their dependent due to your loss of coverage so they would have to take action on your behalf.
INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE PLANS
At the current time, you may buy individual comprehensive health and stand-alone dental insurance plans by accessing Oklahoma’s Health Insurance Marketplace at www.oid.ok.gov and selecting the tab “Get Covered”. You will see the link to the Federal Exchange to both enroll and find out if you are eligible for premium assistance or “Find Help” by inserting your zip code.
Your loss of health insurance through your employer qualifies you to buy individual insurance through what is called a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). This period lasts for 60 days upon the date you lose your employer health insurance. If you miss this opportunity, your next enrollment period would be during the Annual Open Enrollment Period from November 1st through January 15th.
Please note that an ACA individual health insurance plan is comprehensive health coverage and you are guaranteed acceptance regardless of your health status.
SOONERCARE
SoonerCare is for kids under age 19 and for adults ages 19-64. To see if you or your family qualify visit: Oklahoma Health Care Authority website at https://oklahoma.gov/ohca.html or to access SOONERCARE Programs go directly to www.mysoonercare.org.