December 10, 2024 Pennie Enrollment Deadline for Jan. 1 Coverage This Week Pennie’s open enrollment for health insurance will remain open until mid-January – however, those who need coverage for January 1 must enroll no later than December 15. Learn More Pennie’s open enrollment began in early November and will close on Wednesday, January 15. Those who do not sign up during the enrollment period would have to wait until the next period, except in limited circumstances known as special enrollment periods. Special enrollment periods include qualifying life events – such as losses of coverage, changes in households (including getting married or divorced, the birth of a child, or a death in the family), changes in residence, or other events (gaining immigration status, for example). Those who want their coverage to begin on Wednesday, January 1 would need to sign up by Sunday, January 15. For more information on eligibility, required documents, and how to enroll, visit Pennie’s website.
August 14, 2024 Report, Webinar to Inform Early Educators on Affordable Care Act Benefits A report by nonprofit Opportunities Exchange and an upcoming webinar aim to inform early educators of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Report According to the report “Health Insurance for the Early Childhood Workforce,” early educators’ poor compensation – and, specifically, their ability to access health insurance – can have dire implications for their own health and well-being as well as for the children and families they serve. The report, written by nonprofit Opportunities Exchange, notes that tax credits available through the ACA Marketplace make it possible for every early child educator to access health insurance plans. However, the report says, this resource is vastly underutilized. The report highlights both the Individual Marketplace and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) as viable alternatives to the private health insurance route. It offers examples of health care models, ancillary medical benefits, public sector strategies, and resources on finding a benefits broker. The Webinar An upcoming webinar titled “Solving the ECE Compensation Crisis: The Affordable Care Act is a Critical Piece of the Puzzle” will address issues raised in the report. The webinar will run from noon to 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Those interested in attending the webinar should fill out the registration form online.
November 15, 2023 Happening Now: Pennie 2024 Open Enrollment Period The 2024 Open Enrollment Period for Pennie — Pennsylvania’s official health and dental insurance marketplace — is happening through January 15, 2024. Learn More Pennie is the official health insurance marketplace in PA established under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The exchange enables eligible individuals to purchase private health insurance coverage at federally subsidized rates. Pennie’s plan comparison tool allows individuals to answer questions about their health status, preferred providers, and even prescription drug needs. The tool will then display coverage options with total costs for care, including premium, deductible, and total out-of-pocket costs. Enroll by December 15, 2023, for coverage that kicks in on January 1, 2024. Enrollments completed between December 15, 2023, and January 15, 2024, will begin on February 1, 2024 For more information, visit pennie.com.
July 12, 2023 State Departments Extend Insurance Survey Deadline, Add Spanish Option The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) have extended the deadline for child care providers to complete their survey on health insurance in the child care industry. Entitled, “Child Care Liability Insurance Survey,” the questionnaire is aimed at improving state understanding of the insurance market, and will now close on Friday, August 4. (Trying Together updated this article on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 to reflect the extended deadline and addition of the Spanish survey option). About the Child Care Liability Insurance Survey PID and DHS have become aware of difficulties child care providers now face in securing health insurance for themselves and their employees, given the rising cost of care. Though PID previously sent out a similar survey, the limited response inhibited the department’s ability to fully understand the scope of the insurance market. Because of this, they have partnered with DHS to release the Child Care Liability Insurance Survey. This survey will help PID and DHS understand availability and affordability of insurance and assist in determining next steps. Responses are confidential. Also, DIP and DHS will only share general, aggregated results. Access and Take the Survey Utilize the links below to access and take the survey: Child Care Liability Insurance Survey (English) Child Care Liability Insurance Survey (Spanish) The survey closes on Friday, August 4. Please complete the survey on or before that date. Learn More To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Please contact Caolinn Martin at caolmartin@pa.gov or Jameekia Barnett at jamebarnet@pa.gov with questions.
February 16, 2023 Weathering the Storm: Keeping Immigrants and their Families Covered During the Medicaid Unwinding The 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act created a continuous coverage requirement, ensuring that anybody enrolled in Medicaid would stay enrolled without going through the process of redeterminations. However, on April 1, 2023 the pandemic-era’s continuous coverage requirement will come to an end. States will have 12 months to initiate Medicaid redeterminations for more than 80 million people nationwide. Although this “unwinding” puts all people enrolled in Medicaid at risk of coverage loss, immigrants and their family members face unique obstacles to remaining covered. These include language barriers, privacy concerns, and fear of immigration-based consequences. Advocates, enrollment professionals, and allies can help. Join Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) for this webinar to hear from national experts and state advocates about how to keep immigrants and their families covered and learn how to partner with PIF in these efforts. Session Details Thursday, February 23 | 12 – 1 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More To learn more, visit the Protecting Immigrant Families website.
December 5, 2021 Happening Now: Pennie Open Enrollment The 2022 Open Enrollment Period for Pennie — Pennsylvania’s official health and dental insurance marketplace — is happening through January 15, 2022. About Pennie Pennie is the official health insurance marketplace in PA established under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The exchange enables eligible individuals to purchase private health insurance coverage at federally subsidized rates. Pennie’s plan comparison tool allows individuals to answer questions about their health status, preferred providers, and even prescription drug needs. The tool will then display coverage options with total costs for care, including premium, deductible, and total out-of-pocket costs. Webinar PennAEYC will host the team at Pennie to present information about affordable, individual health care options in the open insurance market place for the commonwealth on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 3 to 4 p.m. Join the webinar at this link. The webinar will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. It will be available on the PennAEYC website after the event. More Information For more information, view this flyer in English or Spanish or visit pennie.com.
