How to navigate health insurance deadlines

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The new year is a time when you have to think about your health insurance.

Jan. 15 is the cutoff date to get private health insurance coverage through the federal public marketplace. Shawn Clement is a personal life and health risk manager at Vast Insurance Company in Marquette.

He explained how the marketplace works in Michigan.

“It is run through the federal healthcare.gov and based on your household income and household size you can be eligible for a tax subsidy,” Clement said.

Clement said in addition to personal information, you need to know your household projected income for the year.

“A lot of times we work with people’s CPS’s financial advisors and previous taxes to figure that out,” Clement said.

In order to find a plan which fits your needs, determine what is most important.

“All health insurance plans through the marketplace provide minimum essential coverage but the biggest thing is to determine what health needs, prescriptions, doctors if they’re traveling out of the area,” Clement said.

Meanwhile, for those needing to be enrolled in Medicare, Curtis Hewitt from Medicare Supplement Insurance Services said there are options outside of the annual enrollment period which is Oct. 15 through Dec 7.

“If you are on an advantage plan there is a new enrollment period called OEP and that runs from Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, and if you’re turning 65 or wanting to change your Medicare supplement plan, you can do that any time of year,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt says Medicare takes into account different levels of income.

“There are Medicare plans for every financial demographic, so we do take things into account and make suggestions based on people’s incomes,” Hewitt said.

And, in a statement to TV6 Upper Peninsula Health Plan said:

“Individuals can apply for Michigan Medicaid at any time. Medicaid is health coverage for people of all ages with low incomes.”

For insurance agency contact information click here for Vast Insurance Company, here for Medicare Supplement Insurance Services and here for Upper Peninsula Health Plan.

Copyright 2023 WLUC. All rights reserved.