Online insurance enrollment opens for 2023, here is what you need to know [The Morning Call]

Tuesday marks the start of open enrollment for Pennie, the state’s online health insurance marketplace.

Open enrollment will last until Jan. 15, but Dec. 15 is the deadline to pick an insurance plan that will start Jan. 1. Pennie was created following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. It allows state residents to sign up for an insurance plan as long as they are a U.S. citizen, national or have qualified immigration status.

To get coverage, go to pennie.com, and click the yellow “Get Covered” button at the top of the page.

All Pennie plans include the 10 health benefits required by the Affordable Care Act. This includes:

Adult dental and vision coverage are not included in all Pennie plans.

The cost of coverage for individuals on plans through Pennie increased by 5.5% on average, less than the 7.1% insurance companies requested. The cost of small group plans, which cover individuals and their dependents, increased by an average of 5.3%.

These rate increases are both higher than those announced before last year’s open enrollment. The cost last year increased by an average of .2% for individual plans and 4.5% for small group plans.

During the last open enrollment period, nearly 375,000 Pennsylvanians signed up, with about 110,000 new enrollees. Pennsylvania recorded the lowest uninsured rate in its history at 5.4% this year.

Though the normal enrollment plan ends Jan. 15 there is a special enrollment period for those with qualifying life events such as getting married, getting divorced, having a baby or losing health coverage. Enrollees are generally given a 60-day period to report a qualifying life event.

Getting a plan can potentially lead to significant health insurance savings. About 90% of Pennie customers are eligible for subsidies in their monthly premiums and roughly 40% pay less than $75 a month on their premiums, according to Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.

Following the changing of a federal rule by the Biden administration that closed the “family glitch,” families can now get premium subsidies if the premiums from an employer-based family plan exceed more than 9.2% of yearly household income.

Pennie applicants who qualify for no-cost coverage through the state Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program will have their information transferred to those programs.

To contact Pennie directly for assistance with applying or for other questions, call 1-844-844-8040 or send a message on the Pennie website.

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