Have a general question about employment law? Want to share a story? I welcome all comments and questions. I can't give legal advice here about specific situations but will be glad to discuss general issues and try to point you in the right direction. If you need legal advice, contact an employment lawyer in your state. Remember, anything you post here will be seen publicly, and I will comment publicly on it. It will not be confidential. Govern yourself accordingly. If you want to communicate with me confidentially as Donna Ballman, Florida lawyer rather than as Donna Ballman, blogger, my firm's website is here.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Insurance Open Enrollment is Now Through Dec. 15. Be Persistent. Spread the Word.

The open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act/ObamaCare started yesterday and continues through December 15. You may not have heard about it because the Trump Administration cut advertising by 90%. So please tell a friend. Send the URL to this article to anyone you know who needs health insurance.

Here are some things you need to know.

The site will shut down periodically: This is why I said be persistent. During open enrollment, the Trump Administration plans to shut down the website for registration for 12 hours nearly every Sunday. Don't give up. They're trying to discourage you from enrolling. Don't let them win.

Enroll at healthcare.gov: Here's the URL to enroll for insurance or change your plan.

If you lose your job: Once you lose insurance because you lost your job, you don't need to be in the open enrollment period. You'll have a special enrollment period that gives you an opportunity to get coverage other than COBRA if you want it.

Subsidies not cut for everyone: Even though the Trump Administration cut the subsidies available, causing many premiums to skyrocket, subsidies are still available for some, but only during open enrollment. If your income is 100% to 250% of the federal poverty level, you still get subsidies. Those income levels for 2018 are:
  • $12,060 to $30,150 for an individual
  • $24,600 to $61,500 for a family of four
Open enrollment is cut in half: Last year, open enrollment was 3 months. This year, it's only 6 weeks. Don't wait.

It hasn't been repealed: Although surveys show 10% of Americans already think the Affordable Care Act was repealed, it wasn't. Yet. However, 3.5 million more people are uninsured since Trump took over.


Just be aware that President Trump is doing everything he can to keep you from being insured. Fight to keep your healthcare. It's a matter of life and death.

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I appreciate your comments and general questions but this isn't the place to ask confidential legal questions. If you need an employee-side employment lawyer, try http://exchange.nela.org/findalawyer to locate one in your state.