If you’ve listened to the news lately, you may have heard about some big medical insurance carriers pulling out of Obamacare. It’s true: Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Humana are all reducing their presence in the Healthcare Marketplace (Obamacare) significantly.

UnitedHealthcare and Humana led the way the first half of the year, and now Aetna has announced its plans to follow suit after citing heavy losses. What does this mean for New Hampshire?

NH Health Insurance Updates

I want to make sure a couple of points are clear when it comes to New Hampshire health insurance availability, especially in the Medicare Market.

None of the major providers that are leaving Obamacare have plans available for New Hampshire, so residents will not be affected by their withdrawal from the Marketplace.

New Hampshire’s providers include:

• Anthem BCBS

• Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare

• Minuteman Health

All three of these companies will be available for 2017 healthcare coverage.

Health Insurance Tips for 2017

Here are a few friendly tips for those who are not as familiar with the insurance industry:

• Obamacare is different from Medicare. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for those 65 and older, and Obamacare is a market where people can select plans and purchase private insurance.
• Open enrollment for Medicare runs from October 15 to December 7. This means that those who have Medicare Prescription Drug Plans or Medicare Health Plans should be reviewing them and making the necessary changes for 2017 before December 7, 2016.
• Open Enrollment for Obamacare (on and off of the exchange) runs from November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017. If you want to change your plan for a January 1 start date, you must make the change by December 15, 2016.

Schedule an Appointment With Your NH Health Insurance Agents

Now is the time to be proactive. Regardless of whether you have a Medicare plan or an Obamacare plan, the first step is to connect with your Health Insurance Agent. Get that date on the calendar, because appointments will fill up fast!

If you live in New Hampshire and don’t have an agent, connect with me. I do not charge for consulting. Your premium will be exactly the same whether you use an agent or not! It makes sense to get the professional help you deserve. Contact The Paige Agency to get started.

-Alice Young