Stamford, CT Obamacare

Stamford, Connecticut 06901
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What Connecticut Residents Need to Know About Obamacare for 2024

Connecticut 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 Connecticut:

Once Connecticut, open enrollment for 2024 Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) coverage has ended, you won't be able to get health insurance through Access Health CT until open enrollment for 2025 begins next fall, unless you qualify for an exception or your income is low enough for Medicaid,.

If you’ve lost your job or significant income in the past 60 days, you might qualify for a special enrollment period (SEP). A SEP allows you to sign up for a new health insurance plan or change your current one outside the open enrollment window.

In addition to job or income loss, many other qualifying events may make you eligible for a SEP. To learn more, see What Happens If I Missed the Connecticut Obamacare Enrollment Deadline?

2. You won’t face a tax penalty for going without health insurance in 2024—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 Access Health CT. 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 Access Health CT. 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 Access Health CT 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 Connecticut 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 Access Health CT while shopping for coverage.

Medicaid. You may qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Husky Health in Connecticut if your income is very low.

All subsidies will be automatically calculated when you apply for a plan through Access Health CT.

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

4. Covered Connecticut brings free health care coverage to more Connecticut families.

Covered Connecticut, a program that started in 2021, offers free health care to families with at least one dependent child and income between 160% and 175% of the federal poverty level. To enroll, you must claim all of the subsidies available to you through Access Health CT and enroll in a silver-level Affordable Care Act plan.

5. Average premium rates are going up, but that doesn't mean you'll pay more.

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 also go up. This is a long way of saying don't let the numbers get you down. Comparison shop at Access Health CT to find the plans and subsidies available to you.

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

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 Obamacare plans. The new federal rules say that short-term plans can last for as long as three years. However, states can make their own rules, and the federal changes will have little effect in Connecticut. The state requires all insurance plans to meet strict standards, including coverage of preexisting conditions and a comprehensive package of benefits. For this reason, no insurers are selling short-term health insurance plans in Connecticut.

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

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 Connecticut.



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