Here’s what Missourians need to know about HealthCare.gov coverage for 2018
Wednesday marks the fifth time consumers across the country can begin shopping for health insurance coverage through HealthCare.gov, a product of President
The window to enroll, starting
It has led some local organizations to ramp up efforts to reach previous shoppers, especially given the shortened open enrollment period.
"In previous seasons, there was good messaging and advertising around open enrollment. That's something that we're not seeing right now,"
In
The average increase in premium prices across
However, a majority of Missourians who shop for coverage receive some sort of financial assistance, according to the
In fact, in some instances, some consumers who receive financial help will likely see a decrease in price, according to the data with SLU.
This year the only type of plan available to Missourians is an EPO plan, or exclusive provider organizations, according to SLU's data. There are no longer PPO plans, or preferred provider organizations, to choose from like in previous years.
EPOs typically do not allow for out-of-network visits. PPO plans have out-of-network benefits, but patients face higher costs.
Brokers say it's imperative that consumers double-check whether their doctors are in-network.
However,
"They're going to have to pick which doctor is more important to them," Rector said of her experience helping clients so far.
When it comes to choice, most
There are only a few counties where consumers will be able to choose between two carriers.
No county has the choice of three or more carriers, according to SLU's data.
The counties with multiple carrier options include
The biggest change in the
Taking
But
The company is headquartered in
The framework of
Cigna is the only health plan in which BJC doctors and facilities are in network.
However, Ambetter's online directory did not list
A spokesperson for
Experts warn those online directories can change and are sometimes inaccurate.
"Sometimes those online directories are a great first step to identify what the network looks like, sometimes it's not always perfect. That's a big part of our work," said Williams of Cover Missouri.
He encourages enrollees to call a particular provider and verify.
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