Top 10 Reasons to Sign Up for Health Insurance

Hi blog readers!  It's Heather with the AARP Illinois Communications Team back with your weekly health care blog post. 

Timur Arbaev

The countdown is on!  The March 31st deadline to sign up for health insurance is right around the corner, so AARP is providing you with our "Top Ten Reasons to Sign Up for Health Insurance".  Kudos to Nicole Duritz, an Obamacare guru at AARP, for compiling this list!  You can connect with Nicole via Twitter (@NicoleDuritz)

#10. That broken leg won't fix itself.

If you show up at an emergency room with a broken leg, the ER docs will attend to you.  But if you don't have insurance, you'll probably get a bill for about $7,500.  If you have to go to a specialist for follow-up, you might have a hard time finding a doctor who will see you without insurance, and that's a real pain.

#9.   All the cool kids are doing it.

Ok, the kids under 26 who don't have health insurance are the ones we're talking about here.  The Affordable Care Act allows young adults to stay on their parent's health insurance until they turn 26.  Want a fun way to encourage your eligible kid to enroll?  Head over to " Mom Means It" and send an e-card.

#8.  You should really get that checked.

Ever find yourself in an elevator with someone coughing their head off?  You and everyone around her are thinking she should really get that checked, right? (While hoping she's not contagious.)  With health insurance, you are more likely to see a doctor if you get sick.  And you're less likely to skip routine health exams, especially now that many preventative services are free.  You can stay ahead of potential health problems by getting free mammograms, prostate exams, colonoscopies and vaccinations for example.  There is also a new protection under the Affordable Care Act that makes it illegal for health insurance companies to limit what they'll pay for your covered care in a given year or over your lifetime.  This is a big relief for anyone with a serious illness or chronic condition.

#7.   You're going to pay one way or another.

If you decide not to get health coverage, you'll have to pay a penalty for all of your care without the financial backstop insurance provides.  Plus, you may have to pay a penalty if you can afford insurance and don't buy it.

#6.   The process of enrolling is easier now.

After some initial challenges with the roll-out of the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, the glitches have largely disappeared.  Some people may experience a hiccup, but the vast majority of visits are now error-free.  The enhanced site makes it easier to comparison shop before filling out an application.  You can get help as you shop for coverage online, by phone, or in person.  In Illinois, the enrollment website is GetCoveredIllinois.gov or you can call 866-311-1119 for help.

#5.   All are welcome.

Insurance companies can no longer deny you coverage just because you have a pre-existing medical condition.  So, if you have diabetes, arthritis, or even something as run-of-the-mill as seasonal allergies, you won't be denied health insurance.

#4.   You're getting private health insurance, not a government takeover.

A lot of people worried that "Obamacare" - the Affordable Care Act - is a government takeover of health care insurance.  The health insurance marketplace the Affordable Care Act created is a way for people to more easily compare private health insurance options.  Private insurance companies, not the government, offer the insurance policies in the marketplace.

#3.   You may qualify for lower costs.

Depending on your annual income and family size, you might get help with your monthly insurance payments - these are your premiums.  Some people will qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs, too.  Still others will qualify for low-cost coverage through Medicaid.

#2.   You could be one appendix burst away from financial trouble.

Did you know that a three-day stay in a hospital costs $30,000 on average?  Overwhelming medical bills are among the most common reasons why people file for personal bankruptcy.  When you're uninsured, you are one accident or unexpected diagnosis away from financial hardship.

And the #1 reason to enroll through the health insurance marketplace before March 31st is....

#1.   It's your last chance to get covered until November 15, 2014.

That's when the Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment for 2015 starts.  That said, if you have a significant life change during the year, you'll have special access to sign up.  These generally include getting married, having or adopting a child or moving to a new area that offers different coverage options.

Call 866-311-1119 or visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov to enroll before March 31st!  Keep in mind that you only need to buy coverage through the marketplace if you don't have insurance.  If you have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, a military program or through your job, you don't need to do anything.

Until next week.....be healthy!

~Heather