IMPORTANT HEALTH CARE INFORMATION

Dear Friends,

From now until December 15, you can sign yourself and your family up for health care for 2021. Take a few simple steps to make sure you're protected in the future.

1. Go the Healthcare.gov and sign in or sign up for an account. You can also call the call center at 1-800-318-2596.

2. Complete or review your application to make sure it reflects your current situation.

3. Apply and enroll in a health care plan to give yourself peace of mind in the new year.  

The portal will let you know what private insurance you can sign up for at a discounted rate and if you qualify for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  If you already have employer based insurance, you can sign up for a plan through Healthcare.gov, but you won't receive a discount unless your employer's insurance is too expensive or doesn't meet minimum requirements.

Especially during this pandemic, it's important to make sure that everyone is covered when it comes to health care.  Last year 2/3 of people who applied for Healthcare.gov plans were able to find plans for $10 a month or less.  Take this opportunity to protect yourself and your family.

IMPORTANT MEDICARE INFORMATION

Open enrollment in Medicare’s marketplace runs from October 15 to December 7. Enrollees have the choice to shop Medicare’s marketplace for the prescription drug and Advantage plans offered by insurance companies.

If you did not receive your Annual Notice of Change document, you can access Medicare & You which contains detailed information on each plan option and the Medicare Plan Finder website. The plan finder allows users to sort plans by premiums and total costs, including premiums, deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance payments. 

Additionally, the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs network is a good resource and provides a federally funded counseling service for free one-on-one assistance in every state.

The Medicare Rights Center offers a free consumer help line: (800-333-4114)

When it comes time to enroll, call Medicare to sign up at 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) and to ensure that your enrollment has been processed.

Health care is a necessity not a luxury. If you have any questions regarding this information or process, please do not hesitate to reach out to my offices. 

Sincerely,

Vicente Gonzalez
Member of Congress