There are big changes coming to health care plans offered in New York State this summer.
The changes involve anyone with the Essential Plan 200-250. It is ending June 30, and you have until June 15 to sign up for a new plan to avoid a gap in health coverage. 450,000 people in New York State who are currently enrolled in the Essential Plan 200-250 will now be eligible for Qualified Health Plans in the individual marketplace.
The state confirmed these changes in March, and they go into effect July first.
Changes at the federal level prompted this, and Megan Woodward from Fidelis Care told 2 On Your Side Wednesday afternoon that it is important to take action now so you don’t lose coverage.
“The choices people will have are really contingent on their information being updated with the state. Their income, their household size, the address, if you’ve moved or had any changes in your income or in your household, certainly over the last few months, it’s really important that that information gets communicated to the state, and they are then the ones that determine the eligibility,” said Woodward, who is the Vice President of Member Experience. “Some people will still qualify for low, or no cost, health insurance through another program like Medicaid or other versions of the Essential Plan.”
According to the state, your new options could have higher premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs. If you are impacted, the state started sending out notices April first.
“This affects people who are specifically in that EP version, which corresponds to how much income people make. The 200 to 250-percent is a percent of the federal poverty limit. If this affects you, you got a letter from the state, and this does not affect anyone else in any other versions of the Essential Plan,” Woodward said.