The scariest part of healthcare open enrollment for most people is not knowing where to start when comparing plans.
Now that the site is open for enrollment, you can enter your information and start calculating.
Whether your priority is medication, keeping your doctor, or out of pocket costs, Porfirio Villareal, spokesperson for the Houston Health Department, said if the website is too daunting, someone from the Houston Health Department can walk you through it.
Click here for a list of multi-service centers open for help navigating the open marketplace.
You can call to set up an appointment or ask questions at: 832-393-5423
“We have 18 different agencies that we work with,” Villareal said. “They can go to our multi-service centers, health centers, and work one on one with people.”
The good news is, he said he actually does not anticipate many changes this year.
Even though price increases are what everyone is most worried about, Villarreal said in Houston, federal assistance has gone up too and should help pad the blow.
“Last year, when there were increases, there were also increases in subsidies. So, on average people had to pay $4 more, which is not a lot,” Villareal said.
The Episcopal Health Foundation predicts 78 percent of people may find a plan that’s less than $100 a month after federal assistance.
Villareal advises not to get too caught up on price. A common mistake people make when selecting the right health insurance is focusing on premium cost and not comparing what the plan offers to what your family really needs. Sometimes it’s more cost efficient to pay a higher premium and get more benefits if you will use them.
“Sometimes you have a network of providers that change, doctor may change plans,” Villareal said. “So, you just want to make sure that plan you had last year is comparable this year or there might be something even better.”
Starting now, about 93 percent of insured Americans will be covered through either employer-based health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.
All of which also offers incentives and wellness programs to lower health insurance costs.