Blue Cross Reminds Louisianians to Sign Up for Healthcare.gov Plans by Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 Coverage
Recent federal changes help more families qualify for financial assistance

BATON ROUGE, La – Louisianians buying Healthcare.gov individual plans must enroll by this Thursday, Dec. 15, to have coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2023. If you enroll in a plan between Dec. 16, 2022 and Jan. 15, 2023, which is the last day of the Healthcare.gov Open Enrollment Period, your coverage will begin Feb. 1, 2023. 

Healthcare.gov is open to people who do not get an affordable offer of insurance through an employer and do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. 

For those seeking 2023 health insurance coverage, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana offers the following tips:

See How Much Financial Aid You Qualify For

Thanks to recent federal changes, there is a big opportunity for more people to get financial assistance when buying Healthcare.gov plans. For all health plan coverage effective Jan. 1, 2023 and beyond, if an employer makes an offer of health insurance coverage to an employee’s spouse or dependents, it will be considered unaffordable if it costs 9.12% or more of total household income. If the employer’s family coverage offer does not meet the federal affordability standard, the spouse and dependents can shop for plans on Healthcare.gov and use any advanced premium tax credits they qualify for to help pay for their plans. 

Blue Cross Health Care Economist Mike Bertaut has outlined who will get help from these changes and how to sign up for Healthcare.gov coverage in several recent posts for Straight Talk, Blue Cross’ multimedia blog on health care costs, trends and policy. Bertaut is featured in a new Straight Talk video that explains how families can take advantage of these changes to find more affordable health care coverage. (1:33)

Get Help Picking a Plan

Need help reviewing your 2023 plan options? You can work with a licensed, experienced agent at no cost. Connect with an agent by visiting GetPlanOptions.com or calling 1-844-GET-BLUE (1-844-438-2583; TTY 711). Agents are available 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays until Jan. 15. They will be closed on Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2023). There is no obligation to buy because you speak to an agent.

Be sure to ask your agent to review the three Ps to make sure your health plan is the right fit for you and your family.

1. Provider
Are your doctors and specialists in the network? Also check to make sure the hospital you’d prefer to go to is in network.

2. Pharmacy
Will the prescription drugs you take be covered and, if so, what will you pay out of pocket?

3. Plan Extras
Does the plan offer extra perks like fitness programs or telehealth services to help you live well? 

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel features short videos with tips for health plan enrollment, including a video with Bertaut explaining how recent federal changes will help more Louisiana families qualify for Healthcare.gov tax credits to pay for their 2023 health plans (2:30). Subscribe to know when new videos are added. 

Follow Blue Cross on social media @BCBSLA to get health plan enrollment tips and see messages about various health topics. Blue Cross posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

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 have been recognized for the past four years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the 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 @BCBSLA.