Health News – The time to sign up for insurance is now

Have you signed up for health insurance coverage in 2022? The end of the year is near, and that means it's open enrollment time — time to sign up for health insurance through your employer or through the ACA marketplace.

Health insurance coverage doesn't automatically renew, so if you want to have health insurance on Jan. 1, 2022, you have about a week. This year's deadline to sign up for healthcare coverage through the marketplace is Dec. 15.

FHN Financial Resource Coordinator Misty Potts says people who aren't covered through their employer should be sure to "shop around" a bit this year. Premium prices have changed (and not always going higher), and more people are qualifying for cost-savings reductions this year, as well.

She shared information about signing up for coverage in a recent radio interview, including the important difference between an HMO and a PPO. Most people in our area have two general options for health insurance through Healthcare.gov, she says: Blue Cross/Blue Shield or Quartz.

Quartz is an HMO (HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization), where patients choose a primary care provider to coordinate all of their healthcare needs in one network or organization. In other words, patients see their healthcare provider for routine and preventive care, and their provider will refer them to an in-network specialist for any necessary care.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield is a PPO (Participating Provider Organization) that offers patients a wider choice of providers; patients can choose any primary care provider or specialist that works with their PPO.

It's important to "shop around" a bit to see which organization and plan fit your family's healthcare needs, Potts said. You can look over available plans at healthcare.gov.

If you're signing up for insurance for the first time, she said, it's important to have your information together and ready. You'll need the Social Security number for everyone in your family who will be covered, and your estimated household income for 2022.

This income information is important, Potts said, because it may make your insurance more affordable. "There are a lot of people who are qualifying for cost savings reductions this year, because it has been expanded," she said.

FHN has information and resources at fhn.org, and FHN's Financial Assistance for Healthcare team is available to help, as well.

"Our office is right in the hospital, and people can make an appointment to get help signing up for insurance," she said. Call FHN's Customer Service line at 851-599-7950 to make an appointment.