Vermont Health Connect got off to a rocky start Oct. 1 when the Web-based health insurance market was bogged down by delays and technical glitches.
After weeks of public complaints about the difficulty of accessing the website, the Shumlin administration decided to offer Vermonters additional insurance options. State officials developed contingency plans to ensure that Vermonters would not experience a lapse in health care coverage.
What follows is a breakdown of the contingency for different groups of Vermonters.
Medicaid
Vermonters earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for Medicaid in 2014.
Anyone eligible for Medicaid benefits will be automatically enrolled in the federal program unless they opt out.
For more on Medicaid, read here.
Catamount and VHAP
Many low-income Vermonters enrolled in the state-subsidized insurance programs Catamount and VHAP will qualify for Medicaid in 2014.
For the thousands of Catamount and VHAP beneficiaries who do not qualify for Medicaid, the administration is automatically extending their subsidized coverage until March 31. At that time, they must buy plans on the exchange, where they can draw down new premium and cost-sharing subsidies.
For more on those new subsidies and the populations that will see a rise in costs, read here.
The Catamount and VHAP programs were initially set to expire at the end of 2013. Mark Larson, commissioner of Vermont Health Access, says that he believes the federal government will continue to fund these programs at a 55 percent match for three additional months.
That funding is not guaranteed, however, and the extension is likely to cost the state more.
The Legislature did not budget for this scenario.
Small Businesses
Small businesses can keep their current health insurance plans until March 31, which is the end of the federal open enrollment period for new plans. They can buy coverage for employees directly from either Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont or MVP Health Care. Or businesses can let the Jan. 1 deadline expire and allow their insurer to choose a plan that most closely resembles the company’s current plan.
For more information, about options for businesses, read here.
Vermonters buying insurance individually
Vermonters who do not have insurance through an employer and are buying plans independently can extend their current coverage, but — unlike small businesses — they cannot buy directly from insurers.
If individuals do not to buy new health insurance coverage by Dec. 15, their current plans will automatically be extended through March 31. In order to qualify for insurance by April 1, individuals must purchase insurance through Vermont Health Connect by March 15.
