How Do I Get Off Marketplace Coverage Already!

traceyemoon

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I looked, but didn't see a related thread, so forgive me if I missed it.

I have clients who are aging into Medicare. I have others who are getting picked up by their employer's group coverage. Good for them! Their insurance may actually do something for them!

Now, try to get them off Marketplace coverage. They are being auto-enrolled into the same coverage as last year (2016). Try to terminate it. The termination states "cancelled (coverage ended on 12/31/2017". So I called the brain trust at the Marketplace. They confirmed was terminated, they aren't aware of the incorrect dates, nor do they know how to stop auto-enrollments.

Try to report a life change? The eligibility notices state that they are eligible for Marketplace plans and take to you to choose a plan.

It's like leaving the Mob. You can't.:mad:

Anyone having any luck?
 
You lost me.

If they don't want On Exchange coverage for 2017 (for whatever reason), just don't pay the premium and will terminate. Or go terminate it through the backdoor.

If you have clients who want to go direct, just enroll them direct with the carrier.

If the carrier only accepts FFM plans, they are out of luck. Go enroll them for 2/1.

Or I am missing something from your post. (Which is entirely possible at this point)
 
Ok, that one is new to me.

We only have one carrier left on the exchange and one that is only accepting direct enrollments. Direct enrollments for twice the cost of the other. Most people around here get & need the tax credits.

In the meanwhile, a client that terminated his coverage just got auto-enrolled again-as in, a second time this week.

Go-go-gadget Marketplace
 
Had a client get a $0 premium plan last year with UHC. UHC leaves state in 2017, CMS sends her info to remaining carrier, who auto-enrolls her for another $0 premium plan. She starts Medicare on 1/1/17. She would have never know that CMS was sending the entire premium in subsidy to the carrier. Problem is she cannot have both ACA and Medicare. She would be in for a RUDE awakening at tax time. She would have to pay back all the subsidy for 2017 even though she could not have used it since she starts Medicare on 1/1/17.

Told her to call MP to cancel ASAP. Wonder how many people will get that shock after being on Medicare for 1 year, then getting a tax bill for a year's worth of subsidies....
 
Traceymoon,

I am having the same issue with a client who just got married and is going on her husband's insurance as of 1/1/2017. She emailed me to today asking me to cancel coverage.

Her plan terminates 12/31/2016 (carrier leaving area) She is young and healthy, didn't want the silver. Previously was paying $24 a months for a bronze. If she doesn't do anything and everything stays the same, because of carriers leaving and pricing changes, she is autoenrolled into a bronze plan next year that will cost her nothing and assumes that she is still single.

Using a back door like Sherpa, etc how do you go in and report a life change without first picking a plan that she doesn't want and then knowing her new husband's social, etc? They don't want the autogenerated 2017 application.

I accessed her 2017 application and termed coverage, but the end date states 12/31/2017 as Tracey Moon stated.

If it doesn't term, it isn't as simple as "don't pay the premium", because it is $0.

I advised her to call the marketplace herself to verify that my termination went through and she won't be on a plan at all for 2017, that is all I can do at this point.

I have had SO many problems with terminations this year.
I had one where we called and the marketplace person termed the Medicare spouse off, but then forgot to choose new coverage for the spouse and somehow still had the Medicare person on there (they were billed for him). How is that even possible????
 
Answer is to not pay premium. Period

I am in Connecticut and we have our own exchange, so this may not be the right answer for other states.

Simply not paying the premium results in the policy being cancelled eventually.

However they may be double covered for several months. This can result in problems for your clients. Here are two:

  1. They can be forced to return the subsidy for the months that they didn't qualify for it. Most won't be eligible for a subsidy if they are offered employer-sponsored coverage. The same is true if they are are eligible for Medicare.
  2. If they need to get coverage in the future from the same carrier, they may need to pay the premiums owed before they can be approved for the new policy.


Cancelling a marketplace policy can be a pain, but you might get a phone call from an angry client a few months from now if you can't get it done one way or the other.
 
Ummmmm........if you don't pay the premium, the carrier is supposed to send back the APTC to the feds.

And......it's illegal for a new carrier to deny coverage for non payment to prior carrier.

Is CT a different country now?

I stand by my answer.
 
Ummmmm........if you don't pay the premium, the carrier is supposed to send back the APTC to the feds.

And......it's illegal for a new carrier to deny coverage for non payment to prior carrier.

Is CT a different country now?

I stand by my answer.

If you don't pay the premium but don't request cancellation, the carrier is supposed to give you a grace period of, I think, 3 months. I believe that is both the minimum and the maximum per the regulations. However I've seen policies stay in force longer.

You are right about your second point, but it can be a major hassle to get the carrier to follow the regs.

My experience tells me that I should do certain things that my training said was unnecessary.

Sometimes the textbook answer is not the best real world solution.

If CT were a different country I wouldn't have to deal with all the ACA BS.
 
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