During the Affordable Care Act open enrollment from November 1 to November 23, 11,148 Granite Staters signed up or re-enrolled in health care coverage. That's a jump of 3,297 people from the week before and just slightly behind the 11,434 Granite Staters who signed up during roughly the same time period last year.
National enrollment to date on the HealthCare.gov platform also surged this past week, with 2,372,957 consumer renewing coverage or selecting plans for the first time, compared to 2,424,913 in 2018.
“We are pleased to see a surge in open enrollment this past week, and urge Granite Staters who have not yet signed up for health insurance to make time to do so this week,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director of Granite State Progress Education Fund and project manager for Covering New Hampshire.
People who already have a plan and need to re-enroll are encouraged to double-check the network and prescription drug coverage for any changes and to update their information in case they qualify for any additional cost-savings. New Hampshire residents can compare plans and apply for health insurance at www.healthcare.gov.
Many individuals who purchase coverage through the Marketplace will also qualify for advanced premium tax credits, which will subsidize the cost of their monthly health care premiums, or may be eligible for other programs to help lower health care costs. Free help is available by calling (603)-931-3858 or toll-free at 1-877-211-NAVI.
Advocates warn that people must read the details carefully for any health insurance plan purchased outside the Marketplace, because those plans do not necessarily have to cover pre-existing conditions and essential health benefits. If it is an inexpensive individual plan not sold by one of the approved companies in New Hampshire—Anthem, Ambetter or Harvard Pilgrim – there may be coverage exclusions and waiting periods, and consumers should check their policy documents before enrollment.
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