KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Open enrollment for Obamacare begins October 1 across the country. While Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is urging Missourians to skip signing up for coverage, the Health and Human Services department is telling people to do a little shopping.
Stephene Moore, regional director for Health and Human Services, said nationwide premiums are coming in about 16 percent lower than predicted for Missourians. She said it makes sense to shop around. She compared shopping for healthcare like going online searching for the best deal for an airline ticket.
“For some people it’s okay to have a non-stop flight, but for others to save some money they might be willing to go through Denver and have a little lay over,” she said. “So the same thing with the health insurance. They’ll be able to look at the plans and see which one works best for them.”
Moore says Missourians will have a 17 different plans to choose from.
“Every plan that’s offered in their zip code will pop up and they’ll be able to look at the cost, what the coverage will be and they can see which one of those plans might work best for them,” she said.
In addition, Moore said there is plenty of time to find a healthcare plan that works.
“Nobody has to rush out on October first and get on that website and look at it,” she said. “They can look at it any time between October the first and through early next spring and the end of March.”
A single person making up to around $45,000 a year qualifies for federal help paying for monthly premiums. So does a family of four making up to $90,000 annually. But to get that help, Missourians must sign up through the exchange. Anyone who has coverage through work doesn’t have to do anything.
To shop online for healthcare, visit healthcare.org.
