Last year, more than half a million North Carolina residents signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. With less than two weeks left in the 2019 open enrollment period, there is concern that those numbers will be down. BPR’s Helen Chickering checked in withPisgah Legal Servicesmanaging attorney Jackie Kiger .
Kiger encourages consumers to make an appointment with a free healthcare navigator. You can find one in Western North Carolina through Pisgah Legal Services or at healthcare.gov.
Open enrollment ends December 15th.
The Kaiser Family Foundation analyzed premium data from insurer rate filings to state regulators and healthcare.gov to see how premiums are changing at the county level both before and after subsidies in 2019. Premiums for ACA Marketplace benchmark silver plans are decreasing on average across the U.S. in 2019. However, premium changes vary widely by location and by metal level, including premium increases in a number of counties and plans. Additionally, the amount an exchange enrollee actually pays in premiums depends largely on their income – as most enrollees receive significant premium subsidies – and the difference in cost between the benchmark (second-lowest silver plan) and the premium for the plan they choose. See the report and map here
