Ron Bliss guest col: Open enrollment over for Nevadans, but there are still ways to get covered

Open enrollment for health insurance ended, for Nevadans and most of the nation, at midnight Sunday. Those who still need insurance may still be able to get it, however.

If you are part of a small business, you can get a group plan any month of the year. It will be without subsidy, so you will not be able to go through the Federal Marketplace to get a subsidy, but business owners will be allowed a tax credit at the end of the year with a small-group plan in which they pay at least 50 percent of the cost of their employees’ insurance.

If you would like to look into doing a small business group plan, contact us as Affordable Healthcare Pros and we will let you know your options.

You can also get insurance, outside of open enrollment, if you have a qualifying life event. These include:

If you lose coverage by changing jobs, you will have 60 days from the end of that coverage to get other coverage either on or off the exchange.

If you get married, you have 60 days to get creditable coverage from the date of your marriage.

If you move from one state to the other, you are allowed to get coverage in your new state within 60 days of establishing residency.

If you gain legal immigration status, you have 60 days to get insurance.

If you divorce or have a birth or death in the family, you are allowed to change insurance within 60 day of the event.

If you are released from incarceration, you have 60 days to sign up for a plan.

If you are a Native American Indian, you can sign up any month of the year.

If you are a resident of California, you have through Feb. 6 to sign up for a plan. That has been extended by Covered California. If you live in California and need coverage, call us. We are certified on Covered California.

Affordable Healthcare Pros has written plans in every month since open enrollment for the ACA began in October of 2013. There is no “off-season” for us.

If you are going on Medicare and don’t have a Marketplace account, as long as your Medicare begins in April you will have sufficient coverage for 2016 so that you won’t get fined. To avoid penalties, you only need coverage for nine months out of the year. If you only have Medicare Part A, that qualifies as creditable coverage.

Another “out” for those who missed the signup deadline is the Veterans Administration, if you qualify. As long as you get signed up with the VA by April, you will avoid a fine. Many who served have not inquired about the VA, but if you served at least two years of active duty and have an honorable discharge, it is something worth looking into. The nearest VA hospital is located in Reno.

For all your health insurance needs, including dental and vision plans or Medicare, call us at Affordable Healthcare Pros on one of the following numbers or visit out office at 2307 N. Carson Street, Carson City:

Office Number: 775-883-3414.

Carson City Numbers: 775-450-6769; 775-450-6867, 775-450-7754 or 775-224-7169.

Or Las Vegas lines: 702- 721-3657 or 702-721-3810.

We offer a wide variety of health insurance coverage and can take care of your healthcare needs – both on and off exchanges in both Nevada and California. There is NO CHARGE for our services.

Ron Bliss is a former long-time sports writer who has been doing health insurance since 2009. He is certified on both Covered California and the Nevada Health Link and can sell products on and off both exchanges. Affordable Healthcare Pros also offers a variety of dental plans to include dental-vision-hearing plans in both states, as well as a wide variety of Medicare supplements and other health supplemental products to include critical illness, short-term care, disability, plans to cover in-home or nursing home costs, accidents and hospital indemnity policies.