Signing up for ACA

[TickTock]

My search-fu has failed me.

DW retired last year. At some point I will retire and we'll want to go on ACA until we reach Medicare age.

So... how does one go about signing up? I want to keep continuous coverage (we are both now on my work health care benefits, and ACA looks better than COBRA).

 

[xlf11]

Go to Healthcare.gov to have a dry run (just put your projected income, zipcode, household size and who needs care) to estimate cost and plans. Or find a local ACA agent who can help you to sign up (or just to get an idea what's the best option in your area). There are many details you need to figure out, but start with those first and I am sure others would chip in as well. Good luck!

 

[Aerides]

I want to keep continuous coverage (we are both now on my work health care benefits, and ACA looks better than COBRA).

Just like your work bene's, you will sign up each year after reviewing available plans in your area. Fortunately for us, that's meant sticking with the same plan for about 6 years now. It varies depending on your state/provider, as probably some shift and change.

So, fixating on the continuous part, there's that. And unlike Cobra, which is indeed a continuation of your employer plan by definition, you might end up with something quite different on the ACA. For instance, my work and cobra plan were Aetna. Now I'm with BCBS as Aetna does not offer competitive ACA plans in my area. Just start digging around on healthcare.gov or healthsherpa.

 

[thod]

The signup period for ACA for the next year starts on Nov 1st.
But if you have had a qualifying event (like getting married, having a baby, or losing other health coverage) you can signup outside of the normal period.

It might be easier to just continue Cobra through the end of the year and sign up for next year with ACA starting in the Nov 1st signup period.

 

[Aerides]

The signup period for ACA for the next year starts on Nov 1st.
But if you have had a qualifying event (like getting married, having a baby, or losing other health coverage) you can signup outside of the normal period.

It might be easier to just continue Cobra through the end of the year and sign up for next year with ACA starting in the Nov 1st signup period.

Retiring is also a qualifying event, so it's no biggie if the OP retires earlier in the year.

 

[TickTock]

Retiring is also a qualifying event, so it's no biggie if the OP retires earlier in the year.

Thanks! This is what I'm trying to narrow in on. So I retire on [date], which I'll know in advance. How do I sign up for ACA to eliminate any time gap?

 

[CRLLS]

As I recall, when I signed up for ACA, I think that I could sign up and have it retroactive up to 60 or 90 days. I really can't remember for sure anymore. That was about 8 years ago. One issue with changing horses mid-year is meeting 2 separate deductibles and possibly changing MOOP. Something to consider in your decisionmaking.

 

[TickTock]

FWIW: We have been researching the options available to us, and are narrowing it down. It's the healthcare time gap we're looking to avoid.

 

[Sue J]

FYI You and your spouse do not have to sign up for the same plan. You can have individual plans. The subsidy is calculated on household income but it can be split and you each can use half on your own plan.

I know that's not what you asked about but it's something that was important for us to know when we used HealthCare.gov.

 

[aaronc879]

Once you know your retire date and the date you will lose employee health coverage then call the Marketplace and ask them if you can sign up now but have it start on the day you lose work coverage. I think when I signed up it became effective on the first of the next month but maybe that doesn't have to happen if you talk to them about it. They could require you to show proof you are losing your employers coverage. You should get a note from HR with the date your coverage is ending.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

TickTock, the state you live in guides some of this. Most states use the Federal health insurance exchange found at healthcare.gov. Some states have their own exchange website. Starting at healthcare.gov will tell you that after you start entering information.

In most states (all?) you can sign up for insurance from the exchange up to 60 days prior to a qualifying event (such as retirement, job loss, relocation, etc). You specify the start date during the signup process. However, I think start date always has to be on the first day of a month. It is best to start sooner than later since there MAY be some documents you need to find and upload during the signup process.

If you cannot end your current insurance on the same date your ACA starts, let us know and we can discuss how to leverage Cobra rules to help bridge a short gap.

 

[cyber888]

Usually, your healthcare ends 30 days after you got your last paycheck. Your last paycheck pays for your last month of healthcare 30 days in advance.
So, you can apply for ACA about 30-60 days before your paycheck stops.
In my experience, I got my new healthcare card before my employer's healthcare ended.
I shifted from BlueCross BlueShield to Aetna.

 

[monte1022]

We went to a local insurance agent and he did everything for us. I assume he gets paid by the insurance carrier in some manner. He gave us advice and invited us back to repeat the process as needed.

https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/#/

 

[TickTock]

So it looks like 30-60 days before end of employment. Thanks to everyone who answered!

 

[JohnC12]

One important thing to keep in mind is, once you’ve chosen COBRA as your insurance plan, you no longer qualify for the life changing event and you must wait until the open enrollment period. Dropping COBRA, for any reason, is not considered a life changing event which is why it’s important to make the best decision for you after retirement. DH and I went through this when we retired in May and are now waiting for Nov 1st to enroll in ACA for a Jan 1 start date.

 

[Yipper]

I recently retired and have elected to go with COBRA until end of this year. In November I'll look to arrange for an ACA plan starting 2024. With taxable income management, ACA should be much cheaper than COBRA at least for the next couple of years.