Mark your calendars! Open enrollment for health insurance plans—via kynect—begins November 1, 2015 and closes on January 31, 2016. If you don’t have access to health insurance, have trouble affording health care, or have inadequate health coverage, be sure to visit the kynect website to compare the options that could best work for you or your family. This year, kynect will have two stores (one in Louisville and one in Lexington) open in mid-November to assist anyone in this process.
Kynect has expanded the marketplace to seven insurers, which provides a large variety of health insurance plans, including:
- Medicaid or discounted private insurance for you and your children if you do not receive health insurance through Medicare or through your employer. Your income level will determine which option you are eligible for.
- Medicaid coverage for young adults who aged out of the foster care system until age 26. This eligibility has no restrictions as long as you have a permanent address and left the foster care system without being adopted. If you know young adults who would qualify for this coverage, be sure to spread the word so that all who are eligible can take advantage of this important benefit!
- Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) for your children even if you are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. Your income level will determine the eligibility of your children for this program.
- Affordable private insurance plans if you or your family do not qualify for the three previous plans and do not have access to health insurance through an employer.
Beginning October 16, 2015 you will be able to preview plans through the kynect marketplace to identify the best options for you and your family. The marketplace allows you to see the coverage details and prices. Also, by using the kynect system, you or your family could receive tax credits, payment discounts, or even payment assistance towards your total out-of-pocket expenses.
Because selecting an insurance plan can be so confusing, kynect also has representatives—kynectors—who can provide free guidance and help you select a plan for your family. You can check the regional organization of kynectors for your particular county here. They will be able to communicate with you regarding your health coverage.
Kynect has to review your current situation to see if you need to re-enroll. If you have no changes to your current situation, it is likely that you will not have to do anything. However, if you do have changes, then there is a good probability that you will have to re-enroll. Be sure to check out the kynect website, kynect.ky.gov, now to learn more about plans for your family, and come back between November 15th and February 15th to make your benefit selections!
*Special note to members of the Kentucky Health Cooperative, from kynect and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services:
“One current insurer, the Kentucky Health Cooperative, has notified kynect that it will not offer plans on the exchange for 2016. Current policyholders with the Kentucky Health Cooperative will continue to be covered through their existing policies, most of which expire Dec. 31, 2015. Policyholders with questions about their current coverage can contact the Cooperative or the Kentucky Department of Insurance (800-595-6053). The Department of Insurance will be working with the Kentucky Health Cooperative to assure that services are delivered and current policies are honored. Questions about open enrollment should be directed to kynect.”
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