January is the Last Chance to Enroll in Health Insurance

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

GoLocalPDX Health Team

Oregonians who are in need of health insurance are running out of time. January is the last opportunity for Oregonians to enroll in health insurance plans for 2016.

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services reminds residents that open enrollment lasts until January 31.

Until then, Oregonians are free to change plans or buy a new plan. However, if you do not purchase insurance before the deadline, you could spend the year without health insurance.

What’s worse, you could also pay a significant penalty when you file your 2016 taxes if you do not enroll in a health plan.

The penalty for not having insurance in 2016 is the higher of these two numbers: 2.5 percent of your yearly household income or $695 for every adult in your family plus $347.50 for every child under 18. The penalty could potentially be as much as $2,085 for a family of four, with two parents and two children younger than 18, earning $50,000 a year.

How to Enroll

In order to sign up, renew, or change health plans, Oregonians can visit HealthCare.Gov. Even residents who have already re-enrolled in their current plans can still decide to change their plan before January 31.

"If the price of your current plan has increased for 2016, it may be worth checking HealthCare.gov to see if you can find a less expensive plan or if you qualify for financial help," said Patrick Allen, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), which runs the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace.

You can find an agent or community partner in your area by going to http://www.oregonhealthcare.gov/get-help.html or calling the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-855-268-3767 (toll-free).

As GoLocal previously reported, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services provided grants to 24 agents to create drop-in enrollment centers during open enrollment.

These centers will be open during the entire open enrollment period during normal business hours, with some extended hours. You can find the list of enrollment centers on their website.

Shopping around may prove to be very beneficial. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, consumers who shop and switch plans could save an estimated average of $569 on their 2016 plan.

As of Jan. 2, 2016, 133,776 Oregonians had selected a plan through HealthCare.gov. That number is about 19 percent higher than the approximately 112,000 Oregonians who selected a plan in 2015.

Financial help is available for many people if they enroll through HealthCare.gov. Depending on your income, you may qualify for tax credits to help pay your monthly premium and help with out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays. Three out of four Oregonians who used HealthCare.gov last year received tax credits averaging $199 per month.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

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Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android