Governor Steve Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson will participate in enrollment events across Kentucky this week to mark the beginning of open enrollment in the state’s health benefit exchange, kynect. The insurance marketplace will offer affordable health coverage for the first time to 640,000 uninsured Kentuckians. Now, Kentuckians in all 120 counties can visit kynect.ky.gov to comparison shop for health insurance products. Kynect is expected to help uninsured residents get coverage through private insurance plans or Medicaid, as well as the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP). Four out of five Kentuckians who use kynect are expected to qualify for financial assistance to help cover a portion of their healthcare costs. Open enrollment for individuals seeking to purchase insurance through kynect begins today, Oct. 1, and runs through March 31, 2014, with coverage beginning as soon as Jan. 1, 2014. Open enrollment for small businesses also begins Oct. 1, and businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be able to choose to enroll employees in plans offered through kynect. During open enrollment, Kentuckians will be able to compare and select health insurance plans and discover if they qualify for programs like Medicaid and KCHIP by using the kynect website, a toll-free contact center, a mail-in application or in person. With kynect, individuals will learn if they qualify for payment assistance and special discounts on deductibles, copays and co-insurance. Small businesses will be able to use kynect to enroll their employees in health plans, and businesses with fewer than 25 employees may qualify for tax credits by using kynect. The Kentucky Office of the Health Benefit Exchange (KHBE) within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is overseeing kynect operations. Through kynect, all Kentuckians will have access to available elements of the ACA, including: No one can be denied coverage due to a pre-existing health condition or lose coverage because a family member gets sick; Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging women more than men for the same coverage; All health insurance plans will cover services such as preventive care, pregnancy and infant care, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment; No lifetime limits can be imposed on health insurance coverage; and Children will be allowed to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they reach the age of 26.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 19:22:08 +0000
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