Koleen Cavenaugh, Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer for Independence Blue Cross discussed the importance of medical insurance and how to shop for affordable coverage for you and your family.  She reminded us the window to buy insurance through the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange is January 7th for coverage beginning February 1st, miss that date and you cannot enroll again until next November, barring any important life changes such as marriage, divorce, a job change or adoption.

We got started with a conversation about insurance and the ramifications of not having it, crippling medical debt follows many Americans.  She described the different types of coverage available, including employer, individual, Medicare for older patients and Medicaid for those with chronic illness or disabilities.  For the rest there is insurance through the Exchange or private providers.  To but through the exchange she tells us to prepare with the names and personal information about yourself and family, income from all sources, where your preferred doctor practices and your prior medical history.  Ask yourself if a higher or lower deductible makes more sense, risking higher out of pocket costs against lower monthly premiums.  Check to see if there are discounts or any financial assistance available to you.  She then discussed HMOs and PPOs, and Essential Health Benefits all providers must cover, including wellness visits, immunizations, screenings and mental health services.

All plans are available through the online portal, the PA Health Exchange at pennie.com. and through Independence Blue Cross, at IBX.com.   For healthcare coverage in New Jersey visit getcoveredNJ.com and for Delaware and other states go to Healthcare.gov