Medica Reaches Enrollment Limit for 2017 — How A Broker Can Help!

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You could be on top of the [health insurance] world! (You don't need fancy, hiking cargo pants to get there.)

You could be on top of the [health insurance] world! (You don’t need fancy cargo pants to get there.)

The MNsure marketplace got a bit smaller last week. The Minnesota Commerce Department reported that Medica has met their enrollment limit, and individual plans via the carrier are no longer available on or off MNsure.org.

 

Per MNsure, “the Medica enrollment cap does not affect current Medica customers who want to renew their coverage for 2017. The enrollment cap also does not affect anyone living in the five counties (Benton, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Morrison and Stearns) where the only available insurers all have enrollment caps. In an agreement with the Minnesota Commerce Department, Medica will continue to accept new customers from these five counties.”

Consumers who have just started their search for health insurance are not out of luck! Though both UCare and HealthPartners also have enrollment caps nearing capacity — plans are currently still available to those who act quickly. Blue Cross and Blue Shield coverage is also an option to new enrollees.

 

Your plan choice will be in effect for the entire 2017 calendar year. (Only special circumstances may allow you to change plans mid-year.) Does the process of selecting the most affordable coverage seem daunting? A broker is ready to step in if calculating your subsidy seems as clear as mud, when your application has hit a bump in the road, or you feel like you bit off more than you could chew when you saw the plan choices. (Why am I speaking in idioms? I don’t know what’s happening to me.)

 

A Broker Can Help With…

Technical Issues: When the MNsure site makes you question your sanity and you wonder if the insurance marketplace has an unfair vendetta against your computer browser, a broker can help! Brokers can likely find a solution to your issue because they see it every day — and if not, they have faster, more efficient access to MNsure representatives who can diagnose the problem and get your enrollment back on track.

Application/Renewal/Account Frustration: Maybe you have three applications pending. Maybe you never received a renewal letter. Maybe the federal hub can’t verify your identity. EEK. Whatever is going on, if you try to handle it yourself, you’ll probably spend your lunch break(s) waiting on hold. Making either a phone or in-person appointment with a broker connects you to a MNsure expert. We’ll figure out why your application is stuck, where you need to send that renewal letter, and how you can create an account. You’ll leave your meeting feeling on top of the [health insurance] world!

Plan Choices: Perhaps the most important reason to meet with a broker is that he/she can help you select the ideal plan for your family. There are many factors to consider — the premium, the deductibles, the out-of-pocket maximum, coinsurance, co-pays, your doctors, your clinics, your prescriptions, and so on. Brokers compare insurance plans for a living. They’ll go the whole nine yards to find the most fitting plan for your needs.