Kentucky Health Cooperative: What You Need to Know About Annual Open Enrollment

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In just days, Kentuckians may visit the state's health insurance Marketplace, kynect, and enroll in a plan. Nov. 15 is the first day that consumers can make plan changes, too, that would go into effect as early as Jan. 1, 2015. Kentucky Heath Cooperative, Inc., the nonprofit health insurer that will be governed by its members, encourages you to take advantage of the next few days to review the health plan and prescription drug costs you have right now and plan ahead for 2015.

"November and December in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are about more than football, basketball and upcoming holidays," said Janie Miller, chief executive officer of Kentucky Health Cooperative. "Now's the time to take a close look at your health insurance coverage. If you are satisfied, great. If your health and prescription drug coverage needs tweaking, or if your current plan will be making changes, now is the time to figure out what you want to do."

Examples of personal and family needs that might indicate a plan change include a planned medical procedure or birth of a baby.

The Main Things You Can Change During the Annual Open Enrollment Period

Here are some of the changes you can make during open enrollment, which runs Nov. 15, 2014-Feb. 15, 2015:

• Switch to another plan type (such as, move from a Platinum plan to a Silver plan).
• Switch from your current health insurance plan to one offered by another company.
• Assess your health plan's provider network to assure your providers will still be available to you.

To Think About

Kentucky Health Cooperative recommends keeping this in mind when you look at your plan choices:

• How much is the monthly premium, annual deductible, copayments and coinsurance?
• What about the provider network? Are the doctors, clinics and pharmacies that you use in the plan's network? (Using in-network providers will save you the most money).
• If you take any prescription drugs, are they listed on the insurance company's drug list, called a formulary? And if they are, is there a copayment?

How to Make Plan Changes

You can make changes to your insurance plan during open enrollment by visiting the Marketplace at www.kynect.ky.gov. Contact information for assisters and kynectors is available on the website. Another option is getting help from an insurance agent or broker appointed with the company whose plan you choose.

Other resources

• Kynect customer service: 1-855-4kynect (459-6328)
• Agents, kynectors: 1-855-326-4654
• Medicaid: 1-855-306-8959
• Medicare: 1-800-633-4227
• Kentucky Health Cooperative, current members: 1-855-687-5942
• Interested in Kentucky Health Cooperative: 1-877-334-1726

About Kentucky Health Cooperative

Kentucky Health Cooperative, serving all 120 Kentucky counties, is a nonprofit organization that will be governed by its members beginning in 2016. It is dedicated to making health insurance available for all Kentuckians – individuals and families and small employer groups. It embraces an innovative, quality-focused clinical model that helps keep healthcare local, affordable and available. For more information, visit www.mykyhc.org.

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SOURCE Kentucky Health Cooperative

Related Links

http://www.mykyhc.org