Vt. launches health insurance marketplace Open Enrollment period

WATERBURY - Nov. 1 marks the beginning of the Open Enrollment period for Vermont's health insurance marketplace.

This is the time Vermonters can sign up for or change their health and dental plans for 2024. This year's Open Enrollment is especially important for Vermonters who may have lost Medicaid coverage or otherwise became uninsured in the last year. Even though they can sign up at any time, the tools and resources available for Open Enrollment make this the perfect opportunity to shop for a plan and take advantage of expanded financial help.

Vermonters can save money on the amount they pay for plans, called premiums, if they qualify and sign up on the health insurance marketplace, also known as Vermont Health Connect. Over 90% of people who are enrolled through Vermont Health Connect qualify for financial help. Thousands of Vermonters now pay less than $25 a month for coverage through the marketplace. "Health care costs and medical debt are a real concern for many in our state. It's important that Vermonters know about Vermont Health Connect, how easy it is to get a plan, and how much less they'll pay than if they were to buy the same plan directly from an insurance company," said Jenney Samuelson, Secretary of Vermont's Agency of Human Services.

The Department has made complicated information about health insurance easy to share using its "Vermont Communications Toolkit for 2024 Open Enrollment" found online.

For plan year 2024, an eligible individual who earns $40,000 a year could get the lowest-cost Gold plan for $183 a month - a savings of $833 each month. A family of four with a household income of $100,000 could get the same plan for $760 a month - a monthly savings of $2,098, or more than $25,000 per year.

Customers eligible for financial help can apply the savings to the plan of their choice. It's important that customers shop to see which plan is best for them. All qualified health plans available include the same essential health benefits. For Vermonters who have recently transitioned off Medicaid or other health coverage, these qualified health plans are a strong way for customers to regain or maintain continuous health insurance coverage at a low cost. If eligible for Marketplace subsidies, people who no longer have Medicaid coverage may find health plans that, like Medic-aid, have zero (or near-zero) monthly premiums.

"We're proud to reach the milestone of the 10th anniversary of the start of the health insurance marketplace, and further the Department's mission to improve Vermonters' health and well-being by providing access to high-quality, cost-effective health care. Thousands of Vermonters now have access to affordable health coverage and now is the time to sign up," said Andrea De La Bruere, Commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, which operates Vermont's health insurance marketplace.

It's best to sign up by Dec. 15 to ensure coverage throughout all of 2024. Coverage will begin on Feb. 1, 2024, for people who enroll between Dec. 16, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024, the final day of the open enrollment period. Vermonters who want to learn more can join the Department of Vermont Health Access' Open Enrollment Virtual Town Hall at noon on Nov. 1 at bit.ly/2024VHC1. Vermonters can learn more by visiting VermontHealth-Connect.gov, calling the Customer Support Center at 1-855-899-9600, or contacting an in-person Assister near them.