How to Enroll Your Family for Health Insurance in 2019

Time passes more quickly than you realize and this is why you need to start planning for 2019. If you have a family, then you should already be thinking about finding the right health insurance plans to cover their medical healthcare needs. With family health insurance 2019 has a variety of options available.

Here are some things you should be aware of if you’re looking to provide adequate health insurance for your family:

1. You can get a plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace, which offers plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act regarding coverage and benefits. The open enrollment starts on November 1, 2018, and ends on December 15. During this time, you can enroll in your first plan, re-enroll in your current plan, or change to a new plan. The coverage of the plan you get during this enrollment period will start on January 1, 2019.
2. If you qualify, you can still enroll your family during the Special Enrollment Period that lasts up to October 31, 2018. There is a qualifying event needed, such as a new marriage or having a baby. You generally have 60 days after the qualifying event to enroll in a Health Insurance Plan during the Special Enrollment.
3. You should also see if your employer offers health insurance for your family through the workplace. In this setup, your employer pays for a significant percentage of the premium. However, your employer also gets to decide on which plan to offer workers.

Not every business offers health insurance, and some may not extend coverage to spouses, children, or family members outside the immediate family.

4. Try Medicaid. If your family income does not exceed certain limits, then you may qualify for the Medicaid program. Medicaid can offer special coverage and benefits for children and pregnant women, and families with unemployed parents may qualify as well.
5. If you can afford it, you can get a health insurance plan from private carrier outside the health insurance marketplace. You can do this at any time. However, you have to carefully check the plan you get to make sure that they offer adequate coverage for you and your family.
6. How much do the premiums cost? This is one of the more crucial factors you have to consider, because you need to be able to pay the monthly premiums with the budget you have. The amount of premium you can afford to pay will also affect the level of coverage you can get for your family. However, if you’re faced with two possible plans with very similar coverage, then it makes sense to pick the plan that cost you less in premiums.
7. Deductibles and other fees must also be considered. The deductible is the amount you need to pay for before the insurance plan goes into effect. A high deductible often comes with a low premium, but that means you may face a hefty medical bill even before the health insurance plans helps you with the expenses. The other fees include coinsurance percentage payments for medical services, as well fixed co-pays for doctor visits and prescription drugs.
8. Your plan should also allow you to see the doctors you want to see. If you already have a trusted pediatrician, then you may want to get a health insurance plan that includes this doctor in the network.

It’s true that the current state and rules of health insurance are rather complicated and unstable right now. But you still have to be ready, as your family will need health insurance for 2019—and beyond.