When You Can Enroll in Health Plans
Health care enrollment periods are specific times that you can enroll in or make changes to your health care coverage for yourself or your family. If there isn't a valid enrollment period, you can’t enroll or make changes. The fastest and easiest way to determine when you're eligible to enroll is to call us at 1-866-322-2824 to speak with a Via Benefits licensed benefit advisor,* who asks a series of questions to determine if you currently qualify for an enrollment period.
When you change plans, you must contact your current insurance carrier and notify it of the cancellation. Otherwise, you end up paying a premium for your old plan and a premium for your new plan. Ask your insurance carrier for confirmation in writing regarding your cancellation.
Open Enrollment Period (November through December 15)
The Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is November 1 through December 15 each year for most states. During this time, you can enroll in a health plan or change your health plan for any reason. The plan's effective date will be January 1 of the following year. The state or federal government tells you if the OEP in your state is other than November 1 through December 15.
If you need to contact Via Benefits Insurance Services for help evaluating or changing plans, be sure to reserve a time to call to speak with a benefit advisor. You can reserve a time to call on the website or by calling us at 1-866-322-2824.
No action is required during the OEP if you‘re satisfied with your current coverage. Your plans automatically renew unless your plan is being discontinued.
Remember, if you're changing plans during the OEP, you must contact your current insurance carrier to cancel your plan.
Consider Whether You Need To Call Us During Open Enrollment
Please call us at 1-866-322-2824 if any of these situations apply to you, and you would like to consider changing your plan:
Significant change in health status.
Significant increase in premiums.
Your out-of-pocket costs have increased for your current medications.
You've moved to a new state or ZIP Code, and your plan wasn't changed at the time of your move. Plans should always be reviewed immediately when moving to ensure continuation of coverage.
Your plan has been canceled.
Your primary care physician is no longer included in your plan's network.
Health plan changes - Plans often change from one year to the next. Even if you've been satisfied with your plan, and you don't expect to change, it may be a good idea to sign into your account on the website and ensure you're still in the right plan for your evolving needs.
Special Enrollment Periods
If you need to change your health plan outside of the OEP (November 1 through December 15), there are specific situations that may allow you to change plans. You can make changes to your plan when certain events happen in your life. These chances to make changes are called Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs). Rules about when you can make changes and the type of changes you can make are different for each SEP.
Information about Specials Enrollment Periods (SEPs) can be found on healthcare.gov. You can also call us to review the SEPs with a benefit advisor.
*Our licensed benefit advisors specialize in health insurance for retirees. They go through annual training and certification to ensure they can help you make an informed and confident decision.
