Morrill, ME Obamacare

Morrill, Maine 04952
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What Maine Residents Need to Know About Obamacare for 2023

Maine open enrollment for 2024 health insurance plans runs from November 1, 2023 until January 15, 2024.

This website provides information about getting health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including:

To begin, keep in mind these key points about health insurance in Maine:

1. Open enrollment for 2023 health insurance plans runs from Tuesday, November 1, 2022 through Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Maine residents can sign up for 2024 health coverage from November 1, 2023 to January 15, 2024. For most people, if you enroll by December 15, your coverage will begin on January 1, 2024. If you enroll after December 15, your coverage will start on February 1.

Once the open enrollment period has ended, but you can get covered for the rest of the year if you qualify for a special enrollment period, including job or income loss. To learn more, see What Happens If I Miss the Maine Obamacare Enrollment Deadline?

2. You won’t face a tax penalty for going without health insurance in 2023—but there are big downsides to being uninsured.

Obamacare’s tax penalty went away in 2019. That means that if you don’t have health insurance, you won’t have to pay a penalty when you file your federal income taxes. That said, think about whether it makes sense to forego health insurance. A medical crisis could knock the financial wind from your sails and do more damage than the penalty. (A study published in 2019 showed that a lapse in health insurance coverage can double a person's chances of ending up in bankruptcy.)

 3. You may qualify for new Affordable Care Act subsidies.

In 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The law provided $1.9 trillion of federal aid to Americans struggling with the COVID-19 crisis, including additional premium subsidies for those who purchase health insurance through CoverME. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act extended these more generous subsidies through 2025. Here’s a quick summary of the types of available subsidies.

Federal tax credits. Under ARPA, no one will have to pay more than 8.5% of their household income for a mid-level plan purchased from CoverME. Technically, the subsidies are tax credits, but you can choose to have them automatically deducted from the cost of your monthly premiums.

Cost-sharing subsidies. More than half of the people who purchase coverage through CoverME receive assistance through cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). CSRs automatically reduce your premiums and lower your costs when you use your insurance benefits—for example, when you go to the doctor, get lab work, or have to stay in the hospital.

CSRs are available to people who make between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level. (For 2023 health plans, that means a family of four in Maine can't earn more than $75,000 and an individual not more than $36,450.) But these benefits are available only on silver plans. If you think you may qualify, look carefully at the costs for silver plans available at CoverME while shopping for coverage.

Medicaid. You may qualify for free or low-cost coverage through MaineCare in Maine if your income is very low.

All subsidies will be automatically calculated when you apply for a plan through CoverME.

For more information, see Ways to Save Money on Obamacare in Maine.

4. Average premium rates went up for 2023, but that doesn't mean everyone is paying more.

Nationwide, the average rate increase for 2023 health plans was about 7.7%. In Maine, the average number was higher, coming in at an increase of 11.4%. But remember that this number doesn't tell you how much you'll pay for health insurance. Costs vary from insurer to insurer and plan to plan. Also, if premiums for the benchmark plan (the plan used to determine subsidy amounts) go up, subsidies go up, too. This is a long way of saying don't let the numbers get you down. Comparison shop at CoverME to find the plans and subsidies available to you.

5. Maine "Clear Choice" plans are available in 2023.

Maine has created a standard health insurance plan designed to help you more easily compare plans and choose the plan that's best for you. Clear Choice plans have the same deductible, copays, and co-insurance charges, no matter which health insurance company offers the plan. You can compare Clear Choice plans with other plans when you shop for health insurance at CoverME.  

6. No insurers sell short-term health plans in Maine.

In 2018, the Trump administration made it easier to purchase short-term insurance plans. These plans don't have to cover preexisting conditions or the essential health benefits provided by ACA plans. The federal rules say that short-term plans can last for as long as three years. States can make their own rules, however, and the federal changes will have little effect in Maine. Maine law requires all insurance plans to meet strict standards for the sale of short-term plans. For this reason, no insurers currently sell short-term health insurance plans in Maine.

Remember, if your income is very low, you may qualify for free or low-cost coverage through MaineCare in Maine.

7. You can get help signing up if you need it.

The Biden administration has greatly increased enrollment assistance, making it much easier to get the information you need to get covered. To connect with local support resources, see How To Sign Up for Obamacare in Maine.



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