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USA Today Network – Tennessee, Knoxville News Sentinel

The open registration for insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act market starts on November 1 and ends on December 15.(Photo: GETTY IMAGES)

The open registration for insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act market starts on November 1 and ends on December 15.

Tennessee, in particular, will see changes among those who buy ACA diets. Here's what to look for in 2019.

More choice

In 2017, for a while, it was unclear whether insurers would offer ACA plans in Tennessee. By 2018, all state counties were covered – but several by one insurer.

In 2019, two new companies entered the game: Brilliant in three metropolitan and Celtic markets in two. In addition, Oscar and Cigna are expanding their coverage areas and Tennessee's Blue Cross Blue Shield will offer insurance coverage everywhere except in Nashville and Memphis. This means that most counties will have at least two options, and some will have even more.

In Knoxville, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bright and Cigna will propose plans; in Nashville, Bright, Cigna and Oscar; Chattanooga, Blue Cross and Celtic; in the Tri-Cities, Blue Cross and Cigna; and Memphis, Bright, Celtic, Cigna, and Oscar.

Lower premiums for some

In August, when the state's insurance department approved the rate changes for 2019, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna saw their premiums fall, an average of 14.9% and 12.8% respectively. Both are the largest insurers for those enrolled in individual market plans.

Meanwhile, Oscar has increased premiums by 7.2% to 10.84% ​​on average, and two new players have appeared with Bright and Celtic.

To make matters worse, rate changes can also affect the amount of subsidies for those eligible for this financial assistance. So it's even more important than usual to shop for plans this year, rather than letting your insurer simply "automatically renew" your current plan.

More penalty for uninsured

It's the year when the tax bill signed in 2017 eliminates the individual mandate – the requirement for all Americans, with few exceptions, to take out health insurance – comes into effect.

In 2018, nearly 229,000 Tennesseans joined ACA's market insurance plans, a slight decrease from 2017, although rates vary widely from state to state. l & # 39; other. Thirty counties, for example, experienced an increase in the number of enrollees, while seven – including much of northwestern Tennessee – recorded a decline of more than 10% in enrollment. Even after it's no longer a federal law, some states will keep insurance mandates, but not Tennessee.

It remains to be seen whether eliminating the threat of a tax penalty for the uninsured will affect registrations across the country. Dr. Mary Headrick, a lawyer and family doctor, a former congressional candidate, does not think it will have a huge impact, beyond a group of younger, healthier people who are giving up their policies. Headrick refers to Medicare, in which the additional fonts in Part B are optional, with no penalty for not buying one "and yet, more than 90% of people enroll in Part B or an equivalent plan ".

More: Five things to know about the period of registration open to Medicare

More potential for misunderstandings and "scams"

When promulgated, the rules established by ACA must be adhered to by insurance plans – a list of "essential essential benefits", without excluding patients based on their medical history, not requiring more premiums. elderly and sick, covering at least 60% of average medical costs and spending most of the premium on claims, not other

This year, plans that do not meet these requirements – such as those purchased through organizations through an association – are available, and the duration of "short-term" plans intended to bridge the gaps between a Full insurance has gone from a maximum of three months to a day of less than a year. These plans are likely to cost less, but Headrick and others fear that people will only realize after registering what is excluded from coverage, such as pre-existing illnesses.

Report: Nearly one-third of Tennesseans have pre-existing "declining" conditions for health insurance before ACA

In addition, Tennessee will allow ACA Marketplace to be registered by telephone this year, allowing fraudsters to call uninitiated customers and make them believe they are addressing legitimate Marketplace browsers. Headrick.

How to register

Registration at the Tennessee Marketplace, run by the federal government, can be done via www.healthcare.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596.

However, qualified volunteers can help people register for a number of planned events through December, starting with a kickoff from noon to 6 pm. November 1st at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 1807 Dandridge Avenue.

Headrick said that those who bring the necessary paperwork can get through the complex registration process in less than an hour.

The scheduled events are:

  • Cherokee Health System, 2018 Western Ave: 10h-14h. November 3 and 17 and December 8; 10 am-6 pm December 15th.
  • Baptist Church of Mount Calvary, 1807 Dandridge Avenue: 10 am to 2 pm November 10th and December 1st.
  • Senior Center of Sevierville1220 W. Main St., Sevierville: 1 pm to 5 pm November 7, 14 and 28 and December 5 and 12.
  • South Knox Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike: 3 to 7 pm November 15 and 29 and December 13.
  • Blount County Library, 508 North Cusick St., Maryville: 3pm to 7pm. November 13th and 26th and December 10th.

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