The President announced that current health insurance policies not meeting the essential health benefit structure under health reform (PPACA) can be maintained through 2014. Actually, most carriers I work with had already been offering renewal options through 12/30/2014 anyway. My recommendations:
1. If you do not need the full spectrum of Obamacare essential health benefits (ex. maternity) consider renewing your current program rather than enrolling in the new PPACA compliant plans. If you need the new benefits, consider the new plans keeping in mind they are not effective until 1/1/2014. Make a personal business decision.
2. If you need insurance and do not have it, consider obtaining it by 12/31/2013. Carriers can still consider your current health in rate decisions and you still could be declined (not so after 1/1/2014) but you will likely save big on premium.
3. As far as I know (yes, disclaimer) after 1/1/2014, the new rules still apply and these policies must meet the PPACA requirements. Community rating and guaranteed issue still applies.
4. STAY TUNED to more changes. We do not yet know how our insurance commissioner will manage this latest DC pronouncement nor do we know how the insurance carriers will adapt.
5. Make sure you obtain and keep health insurance!
Through all of this, point 5 is the most important for Patch readers followed by "stay tuned". I do not believe we have seen the totality of consequences from the PPACA or what this latest political band-aid will trigger.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/11/14/obama-offers-obamacare-break-to-people-with-canceled-...
