Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Will I be credited for any use of deductible or out of pocket expenses during the period of extension?
On January 1, 2014, the deductible and out of pocket amounts for your 2013 health plan will reset to zero, as they would at the beginning of any plan year. If you have selected the same carrier for your 2014 Vermont Health Connect plan, any deductible and out of pocket amounts accumulated from January 1, 2014 until the end of the extension period will apply to your 2014 Vermont Health Connect plan.
My employer offered the full menu of plan options through Vermont Health Connect; how does this announcement impact me?
You will have your current 2013 health plan extended until the premium processing and payment functions of Vermont Health Connect are available. Once those functions are available, your choice for 2014 Vermont Health Connect coverage will be honored and new plans will begin. Your employer will be notified as soon as the premium processing and payment functions are available.
I’m a sole-proprietor with no employees; does this impact me?
Due to changes in federal law, most sole-proprietors will no longer purchase health insurance as a business in 2014. Rather, you will purchase individual or family coverage. This applies to sole-proprietors without employees or whose only employee is a spouse.
While your situation is different from a small business, you also have the option to extend your current health coverage plan. You should have received a notice from your insurance carrier explaining your options in early November. If you did not respond, your current 2013 insurance plan has already been extended through March 31, 2014. You can enroll in an individual or family plan through Vermont Health Connect prior to December 23rd for coverage that takes effect on January 1, or any time thereafter to obtain your new coverage. To ensure you obtain coverage effective April 1, 2014 and avoid a lapse in coverage, you must enroll no later than March 15th, 2014.
I am offering coverage for the first time through Vermont Health Connect. What are my options?
You should immediately inform your employees that their Vermont Health Connect plan start date has been delayed. However, they will not have a gap in coverage. The employee then has two choices for this interim period between January 1 and up to March 31:
1. Contact their carrier and extend their current individual plan up through March 31, 2014.
2. Enroll now through Vermont Health Connect as an individual/family. They can enroll on-line at Vermonthealthconnect.gov or by phone by calling our toll-Free Customer Support Center at 1-855-899-9600.
Will my billing cycle change if my plan is extended?
No. Billing for January will follow the same schedule you currently have with your insurance carrier.
Who should I call with questions around the extension of my 2013 plan?
Contact your insurance carrier directly.
Blue Cross Blue Shield: 1-800-255-4550, www.BCBSVT.com/exchangebenefits
MVP Health Care: 1-888-687-9872, www.DiscoverMVP.com
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