Open enrollment is fast approaching! November 1, 2015 marks the first day to enroll in a 2016 Marketplace health insurance plan.

During the 2015 open enrollment period 11.7 million people had enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace plan. While many of these enrolled individuals will continue with their selected plan, if you are unhappy with the insurance plan purchased for 2015, the open enrollment period exists to allow those who had previously purchased health insurance through the marketplace to make a change to their current plan. Maybe your doctor has changed, or you would like to try a new MS treatment. Searching for plans that match your needs can easily be completed using the Healthcare.gov Marketplace.

From November 1st, through January 31st 2016 individuals can make changes to their current plans. While the changes made do not take effect until January 1st, this provides individuals with the time needed to make a decision on which plan will work best for their needs.

For those who are new to the Marketplace and purchasing insurance for the first time, MSAA’s Health Insurance Guide, is a valuable resource aimed at assisting the MS community with understanding the many details surrounding today’s health insurance options. Using the PLAN Ahead model (Prepare, Look, Analyze, and Name), MSAA’s Health Insurance Guide provides a comprehensive overview of what should be evaluated when purchasing a plan.

Still confused about the Affordable Care Act, or how the Insurance Marketplace affects you? MSAA has created an informative webinar to better explain the process titled What You Need To Know About The Affordable Care Act. Additional webinars can be found within the MSAA Health Insurance Guide, including The New Insurance Marketplace and MS .

References:
http://kff.org/interactive/mapping-marketplace-enrollment/