Health care is notorious for being politicized, and election season turns up the heat on issues that affect the insured and the uninsured alike. While many citizens advocate for a more universal health care system, others feel strongly that a single-payer system, or one that further meshes health care with the government, would only increase the chaos and they would like health care to be further privatized. This year’s candidates have very different plans for health care as the country moves forward into 2021.
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​Have you selected your insurance coverage for 2020? If not, then you need to get on it because while open enrollment keeps getting extended for the Affordable Care Act compliance, the extensions won’t last forever. To help you narrow down your options, the professionals at Sackett and Associates Insurance Services have compiled a list of ten tips.

When the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called Obamacare, passed the United States Congress in 2010, it included an individual mandate requiring everyone in the United States to have health insurance coverage or pay a federal income tax penalty. The purpose was to lower premiums while ensuring that there was enough money available to cover the costs of the claims filed.

​It’s that time of year! As soon as October closes out and Halloween is over, Open Enrollment 2020 begins on November 1, 2019. Health insurance is important, but costs continue to rise. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) purports to make healthcare accessible to all and subsidies supplement the costs. It can be a confusing process, but here is what you need to know about subsidies and Covered California in 2020. 

​Every year, families and individuals are given an opportunity to change their health insurance plans for any reason. This period is called Open Enrollment, and it falls at the end of the year. For most states, Open Enrollment 2020 extends from November 1, 2019 through December 15, 2019. California’s Open Enrollment period is longer and extends from October 15, 2019 through January 15, 2020. As the day approaches, you may be wondering if you should change your Covered California insurance plan. Here are a few things you should consider before making such an important decision.

​Though the federal government repealed the health insurance mandate penalty via the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Covered California plans to restore it in 2020. This is just one of many reasons individuals should not miss open enrollment, which is, once again, upon us. 

​When California residents sign up for health insurance during open enrollment 2020, they will have access to new discounts and subsidies under the state's new Covered California program. This initiative is designed to expand on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to help more state residents access high-quality health care through affordable health insurance coverage. Read on and review the answers to all your open enrollment questions before you sign up on October 15.

​In an effort to reduce the cost of health insurance for consumers and increase enrollment rates throughout the state, the Governor and Legislature enacted initiatives designed to bring quality health care within reach of a larger demographic through Covered California. Though bold, estimates suggest that the new initiatives will save California residents hundreds of millions of dollars in monthly premiums and ensure that middle class individuals have access to financial assistance. It is hoped that by lowering the cost of health care for Californians, small businesses will be able to expand, hire more personnel, buy new equipment and realize their full potential. 

​When insurance companies first learned of Covered California, they estimated that they would lose millions of dollars. According to CNN, they did. However, after a few years of navigating the system and improving other aspects of business, insurance companies finally began to make money from Covered California in 2018. Bloomberg notes that their formula for success was a simple one: premium increases. One Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that health insurance premiums increased by roughly 32% in 2018.