Health Insurance Marketplace
As patients come to you with questions about Texas’ new federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace, here are some resources and information for you. Enrollment in the marketplace health plans began Oct. 1, 2013, and coverage begins as early as Jan. 1, 2014. We will update this page as more resources and information become available.
What you need to know about the health insurance marketplace
Are you and your patients ready for the health insurance marketplace? Read this Texas Family Physician story for basic information on the federally-facilitated marketplace Texans will use to purchase private insurance.
How physician practices can prepare for a health care marketplace
In a quickly changing medical economic environment, physicians’ practices need to prepare for the coming health care marketplace.
Texas doctors, uninsured patients, and the ACA: What’s next?
Patients seeking coverage have more options than the insurance marketplaces. Here’s how you can be ready to help.
Resources for providers
> AAFP put together a brief on the background of the marketplace, as well as a list of frequently asked questions.
> The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a variety of resources for providers on marketplace.cms.gov, including training information, marketing materials, and more.
Resources for your patients
> The website that will serve as the official online marketplace, www.healthcare.gov, currently has materials to prepare individuals and small businesses for enrollment come October. The entire website is also available in Spanish at www.cuidadodesalud.gov.
> Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas created a marketing campaign for the marketplace at becoveredtexas.org that includes materials in both English and Spanish to educate individuals on the health care reform.
> Individuals looking for local assistance in the enrollment process can now visit localhelp.healthcare.gov and enter their city and state or zip code to find a list of resources in their community, including Medicaid and CHIP, SHOP help, and multi-lingual support.
> For patients who already have Medicare or will soon be qualified for it, this MedicareInteractive.org resource gives answers to four different scenarios and helpful information on how the new health insurance marketplace will affect them.