NEWS
Oregon's Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance is scheduled to begin January 1, 2023! The Oregon Employment Department is currently drafting proposed rules. Check back later for updates as new guidance is released!
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PREVIOUS BULLETINS:
2022 OPEN ENROLLMENT:
Open enrollment for 2022 individual health insurance coverage takes place November 1st, 2021 through January 15th, 2022. The Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans is October 15th through December 7th, 2021. The open enrollment period is your chance to enroll in coverage, change coverage, and/or review your premium to see if any cost reducing options are available to you.
Applications received outside of open enrollment will only be accepted if you experience a qualifying event. Qualifying events include the loss of other coverage (such as employer sponsored coverage) or involuntary loss of individual coverage (such as COBRA coverage running out).
Please note: Large and small employer groups are not tied to Open Enrollment and can be set up at any time throughout the year.
Give us a call if you would like to schedule a meeting to review your insurance options! Our services are provided at no additional cost to you.
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COVID-19:
As reports about Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to develop, we want to make sure our clients know:
- Where to go to obtain the latest news
- How to protect themselves
- What to do if they suspect they have been infected
To stay up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 information, we recommend visiting the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) or the Center for Disease Control (CDC) websites.
Coronavirus is a respiratory illness caused by a virus and it is highly contagious. The most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Some cases are more severe than others and could potentially be life-threatening. The virus can spread from person to person primarily through coughing and sneezing.
The best ways to prevent the illness from spreading are:
- Wash your hands frequently; soap and water for 20 seconds
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Clean commonly touched surfaces
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Avoid traveling to locations where there are outbreaks
You may be at greater risk of contracting the virus if you have recently traveled to regions where there are currently outbreaks or if you have come into contact with someone who has the virus. Symptoms typically appear within 2 to 14 days after exposure. If you are displaying symptoms of the virus, please reach out to your doctor for evaluation and treatment.
Insurance carriers are also posting information regarding the virus and preventive measure guidelines. Below you will finds links to this information with six of the medical insurance companies we represent.
AETNA: https://www.aetna.com/individuals-families/member-rights-resources/need-to-know-coronavirus.html
MODA HEALTH: https://www.modahealth.com/community/covid-19/
PACIFIC SOURCE: https://blog.pacificsource.com/2020/03/04/coronavirus-get-the-facts-for-a-greater-understanding/
PROVIDENCE: https://www.providence.org/patients-and-visitors/coronavirus-advisory
REGENCE BLUE CROSS: https://www.regence.com/member/health-lifestyle/coronavirus-covid-19
2021 OPEN ENROLLMENT:
Open enrollment for 2021 individual health insurance coverage takes place November 1st through December 15th, 2020. The Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans is October 15th through December 7th, 2020. The earliest available effective date is January 1st, 2021 - unless you experience a Qualifying Event (i.e. moving to Oregon from another state, involuntary loss of other coverage, etc). The open enrollment period is your chance to enroll in coverage, change coverage, and/or review your premium to see if any cost reducing options are available to you.
Please note: Large and small employer groups are not tied to Open Enrollment and can be set up at any time throughout the year.
Give us a call if you would like to schedule a meeting to review your insurance options! Our services are provided at no additional cost to you.
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2020 OPEN ENROLLMENT:
Open enrollment for 2020 individual health insurance coverage takes place November 1st through December 15th, 2019. The Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans is October 15th through December 7th, 2019. The earliest available effective date is January 1st, 2020 - unless you experience a Qualifying Event (i.e. moving to Oregon from another state, involuntary loss of other coverage, etc). The open enrollment period is your chance to enroll in coverage, change coverage, and/or review your premium to see if any cost reducing options are available to you.
Please note: Large and small employer groups are not tied to Open Enrollment and can be set up at any time throughout the year.
Give us a call if you would like to schedule a meeting to review your insurance options! Our services are provided at no additional cost to you.
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01/18/2018:
Recently, the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate was repealed through tax reform legislation. The repeal eliminates the penalty for not carrying health coverage as of January 1, 2019.
The individual mandate, which requires most Americans (other than those who qualify for a hardship exemption) to carry a minimum level of health coverage, is actually still in effect for 2018—meaning that you may have to pay a steep tax fine when you file your 2018 income tax return if you didn’t have health insurance. Even after the individual mandate repeal goes into effect in 2019, the individual insurance markets, federal subsidies to help Americans pay monthly insurance premiums, and Medicaid expansion (in the dozens of states that implemented it) will all still be in effect barring further Congressional action.
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07/20/2017:
The 2018 Individual Health Insurance Open Enrollment window is fast approaching and has been significantly shortened!
Open enrollment begins November 1st and ends December 15th, 2017 for plans effective January 1, 2018. You cannot enroll in or change plans after December 15th unless you qualify for a special enrollment period. The 2018 Medicare Open Enrollment period is October 15th to December 7th, 2017. This is when Medicare members can make changes to their Medicare health plans (Advantage Plans) or Prescription Drug Plans.
Give us a call if you would like to schedule a meeting to review your insurance options! Our services are provided at no additional cost to you.
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The Department of Consumer and Business Services released the approved 2018 final rates for Oregon's health insurance carriers! Rates attached: 2018-final-proposed-rates_Oregon_Carriers.pdf
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10/13/2016:
The Department of Consumer and Business Services released the approved final rates for Oregon's health insurance carriers! Rates attached: 2017-final-summary.pdf
There are many changes on the horizon for 2017! In addition to the changes mentioned in our previous news bulletin, we have included some updates below:
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As of Jan. 1, 2017, Providence Health Plan will only be offering their Standard Metal Individual & Family Plans in Coos County. (Group members are not affected by this change).
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Oregon’s Health CO-OP is no longer able to do business due to financial issues. The State of Oregon has taken over the company’s assets to help pay claims and connect policyholders with new plans. All Co-Op plans ended July 31, 2016.
Starting July 18, 2016, Oregon’s Health CO-OP members in the individual market can purchase a plan from a new carrier through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). The SEP will be open for 60 days after July 31, 2016, until Sept. 29, 2016.
05/06/2016:
Oregon’s health insurance carriers filed their proposed rates with the Department of Consumer and Business Services for 2017 Individual and Small Employer Health Insurance Plans on May 2, 2016.
Rates attached: 2017_Rate_Filings.png
The upcoming year will once again bring many changes in Oregon’s insurance market and we are gearing up now to be able to help you navigate through the options when Open Enrollment begins. A few of the upcoming changes are included below:
- Lifewise has decided to exit the Oregon Insurance Market in 2017 and they are closed to all new sales.
- Pacific Source has chosen to limit their Individual medical plan offerings in 2017 to the following Oregon Counties: Clackamas, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Multnomah, and Washington. (Group, Individual Dental, Medicare and Medicaid members are not affected by this change.)
We will keep you informed of any additional changes to the market as Open Enrollment approaches!
Open Enrollment begins November 1st and agent trainings for the 2017 products will likely begin in mid-September. Stay tuned!
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Open enrollment for 2016 health insurance coverage is November 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016. Open enrollment for 2016 Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans is October 15 through December 7, 2015. The open enrollment period is your chance to enroll in coverage, change coverage, and/or review your premium to see if any cost reducing options are available to you. As stated in the news bulletin below, the earliest available effective date is January , 2016 unless you experience a Qualifying Event (i.e. moving to Oregon from another state, involuntary loss of other coverage, etc). We are here to help you every step of the way and our services are provided at no cost to you!
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The next individual open enrollment period begins November 1, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. The earliest effective date for insurance coverage will be January 1, 2016 and then the 1st of the month following receipt of application after that. You may be eligible for a premium subsidy based on your household size and income level through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. Please give us a call to learn more!
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Effective January 1, 2014: Individual/Family coverage is available to all ages on a guarantee issue basis. This means you can no longer be denied due to pre-existing conditions or current health status.
