BOISE, Idaho — It's that time of year; health insurance open enrollment season. If you don't have health insurance through your employer and you do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, there is another option.
You can enroll for medical and dental coverage through Your Health Idaho, the state health insurance exchange. The Your Health Idaho open enrollment period ends December 15. This year the exchange is offering 141 medical plans and 21 dental plans.
For the first time ever, you can apply for a tax credit and health insurance on the same application and find out if you qualify within minutes. Your Health Idaho also says enhanced tax credits significantly lower monthly premium payments.
On its website, Your Health Idaho gives these examples:
- A married couple in their 60s from Ada County making $60,000 could get covered with a mid-level plan for around $300 per month.
- A family of four in Bannock County with an annual income of $85,000 could get covered with a base plan for $0 per month.
- And a single person in Twin Falls County can get an entry level plan for just $4 per month.
This year, rules are changing that could make insurance more affordable for families. As Your Health Idaho Executive Director Pat Kelly explains, the exchange will now determine affordability separately for the person who gets coverage through their employer, and their family.
"Let's talk about a family of four, gross income of about $60,000. So the employee pays $75 a month. That would be considered affordable, but when you combine the family it's $475. That is considered not affordable." Kelly said. "The family members would then be eligible for a tax credit, and they would shop on the exchange."
Doug Petcash: So it could switch the whole family including the employee over to the health insurance exchange, or it could now be separated, too, where the employee can stay with their employer insurance and the family could get covered through Your Health Idaho?
Pat Kelly: That's right. It is all about the affordability for the employee and/or the family. So you could have families that are split, but you could also have families that all shop on the exchange. And if all that math is kind of overwhelming, and it can be, our application process takes care of all of that for you."
You can find all the information you need, research plans and apply for coverage at www.yourhealthidaho.org.
On this Viewpoint Kelly also explains the process of applying for coverage and the help people can get with making their choice. Viewpoint airs Sunday mornings at 9 on NewsChannel 7.
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