Health insurance options

Health insurance protects you from catastrophic financial costs. Depending on the insurance you have, it supplies access to a network of providers, certain medications and preventive services to keep you healthy. Your options for health insurance depend on your age, job and income.

If you are in doubt about meeting the requirements for any of the following options, please visit http://www.healthcare.gov to learn more, or if your employer offers health insurance options, inquire about them and learn about the options and enrollment timeline.

Public options

If you are 65 or older you may be eligible for Medicare, which is administered by the government. People pay into Medicare as part of their payroll deductions. At age 65, people can enroll in Medicare for a monthly fee, which is deducted from their Social Security, if they are drawing; otherwise the person must pay monthly. It pays for some, but not all of your health care. Be sure to learn about the options available that meet your needs. You might be eligible for Medicare if you are under 65 if you have certain disabilities or health conditions. To learn more about Medicare coverage, providers and other information, please call 1-800-633-4227 or visit the website for a live chat option at http://www.Medicare.gov.

For those under 19 years of age, the Children's Health Insurance Program supplies affordable coverage for kids from low-income families. To qualify, the child must be a U.S. citizen or legal non-citizen, a Pennsylvania resident and be uninsured. Call 1-800-986-5437 for more information.

Medicaid is a health insurance program for people with low incomes and others with certain disabilities. It is funded by both the federal and state government but run by the state. For more information, call 1-866-550-4355.

Private options

If your employer doesn't offer health insurance, you do not qualify for Medicare because of your age or you make too much to qualify for Medicaid, you can access options through the health insurance marketplace. In Pennsylvania, the marketplace is called Pennie. Enrollment through the health insurance marketplaces is available through Jan. 15, 2023. For more information, please call 1-844-844-8040 or visit the website at http://www.pennie.com.

Regardless of your choice, when deciding, consider the following questions: Do you want insurance for a catastrophic event? Do you know if you have a health issue now that you're going to need ongoing care for? Be careful because some of the private options for health insurance plans are short-term or they may look affordable but do not cover a lot of services you need. Remember, you may qualify for subsidies to pay for your insurance premium or qualify for the federal or state-funded programs. To learn more about plans, income qualifications for different options, cost-sharing, deductibles or what to do if you are self-employed, visit http://www.healthcare.gov.