open enrollment

Signing up for a health insurance plan can be daunting and time consuming. As a Certified Enrollment Counselor, my job is to make it easier for South Lake Tahoe families and individuals to navigate Covered California and enroll in a health care plan.

With all the talk the about health care, I have heard rumblings and rumors about what is happening with the Affordable Care Act and what is changing with insurance. Get informed! Make a free one-on-one appointment with me or one my fellow enrollment counselors, have your questions answered, and get enrolled for 2019.

Medicare helps to pay for a wide variety of health services, from flu shots to hospital stays, and from preventive health screenings to hospice care.

But it doesn’t cover everything. And it doesn’t cover all your out-of-pocket costs.

Many services covered by Medicare require co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles. You can purchase supplemental insurance to cover these “gaps” in Medicare.

Such coverage is called Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap. Some Medigap policies also cover certain benefits that Medicare doesn’t, like emergency care in a foreign country.

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 through December 7, 2017. This enrollment period is one of the few times Medicare beneficiaries can change, enroll into or dis-enroll from, a Part D drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan (such as an HMO). Changes to plans are effective January 1, 2018.

Barton Health is hosting an open enrollment working session on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at the Lake Tahoe Community College from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

During this session, individuals can apply for health coverage and have access to certified representatives for any needed assistance. The deadline to sign up is January 31, 2016.

They are reminding people to bring their picture identification, social security number and household income to the enrollment session.

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 through December 7, 2015. This enrollment period is one of the few times Medicare beneficiaries can change, enroll into or disenroll from, a Medicare Advantage Plan (such as an HMO) or a Part D drug plan. Changes to plans will be effective January 1, 2016.

The El Dorado County Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is offering free assistance to all Medicare beneficiaries in El Dorado County during Medicare's Annual Election Period that starts October 15, 2013 and ends December 7, 2013.