Blue Cross Reminds Louisianians Who’ve Recently Lost Healthcare Coverage About Available Options

BATON ROUGE – If you’ve recently lost your healthcare coverage because of job loss or furlough, don’t panic -- you have several options for affordable plans.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana’s Mike Bertaut, healthcare economist and author of the insurer’s Straight Talk multimedia blog, shares the different ways people can find affordable healthcare plans in a recent post on enrollment opportunities.  

In addition to changes in your employment, other life changes like getting married, having a baby, moving or having a change in your household income can trigger a Special Enrollment Period for you to sign up for a new health plan.

If you are in this situation, the main ways you can search for healthcare coverage options are:

1. Individual plans. Visit www.bcbsla.com or call 1-855-343-0361 to speak with a Blue Cross agent about the different plan types available and what could best fit your needs and budget.
   It doesn’t cost you anything to work with an agent.
2. Healthcare.gov. Go to the federal government’s healthcare marketplace and create an account to look for health plans. You can see if you qualify for financial assistance to help you pay for your health plan.
3. Medicaid. If you create an account at healthcare.gov, the site will alert you if you’re eligible for coverage through Louisiana’s Medicaid program, based on your income. You can also visit medicaid.la.gov to see if you qualify.
4. Medicare. If you are turning 65, or if you are 65 or older and have lost employer coverage through job loss or retirement, you may be able to sign up for a Medicare plan. Other circumstances, like moving to another state or moving into or out of a long-term care facility, also can trigger Medicare Special Enrollment Periods. Visit www.medicare.gov for more information.

In addition to Straight Talk, Bertaut was recently interviewed for an article in The Advocate describing how to navigate the healthcare system and find coverage options.

For more information about this and other topics related to healthcare policy, costs and quality, visit www.straighttalkla.com. The Straight Talk blog is typically updated weekly. The site includes a link to sign up for the Straight Talk e-newsletter. 

You can visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube page to see short videos from Straight Talk and on other health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added. You can also connect with Blue Cross on social media for regular updates.

For information on what Blue Cross is doing for members during the COVID-19 situation, visit www.bcbsla.com/covid19.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in United States. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.