November 7, 2017 – Andrea Sears, Public News Service (PA)
Open enrollment ends Dec. 7 for Medicare and Dec. 15 for marketplace insurance. (Rhoda Baer/PA AARPWikimedia Commons)
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvanians young and old have just a few weeks to make some important decisions on their health insurance options. About 675,000 Pennsylvanians still have no health insurance.
For those over 65, open enrollment for Medicare ends on December 7, and for younger people, open enrollment for insurance through the state marketplace ends on December 15.
Joanne Grossi, state president of AARP of Pennsylvania, points out that, under the Affordable Care Act, federal subsidies still are available for people who make up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
“Eighty-one percent of the people who are getting insurance through the marketplace are getting financial assistance, an average of $4,000 a year, which means that actually about 70 percent of Pennsylvanians are paying premiums less than $75 a month,” she explains.
Help is available to sign up for both marketplace insurance and Medicare. For marketplace navigators you can call 877-570-3642, and for Medicare assistance through the state APPRISE Program, call 800-783-7067.
Grossi stresses that the variety of Medicare plans available can be confusing, and getting qualified help with making the right choice can be very important.
“You can get a regular Medicare plan or Medigap plan or a Medicare Advantage plan, and that’s why I can’t stress enough figuring out what’s best for you in terms of your financial situation, your physical health,” she says.
Currently, 2.5 million Pennsylvanians are enrolled in Medicare.
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