IU Doc Urges Uninsured To Sign Up

For whatever reasons, an estimated 800-thousand Hoosiers go without medical insurance.

Don’t let a swamped website keep you from checking out insurance options. That’s the advice from Dr. Aaron Carroll - the director of IU’s Center for Health Policy & Professionalism Research. He says, "People have until December 15th to sign up for coverage that will go into effect January first."

Carroll says the first thing you do at healthcare.gov is answer a few questions about whether the insurance is for you or your family – your age – and whether you’re covered by another policy. Then you can look at what’s offered under the 4 tiers.

The doctor says, "A bronze plan has 60% actuarial value - which means that the insurance plan covers 60% of healthcare costs. You would directly cover the other 40 percent. So, it has different levels of deductibles and co-insurance and everything else. Then it jumps up basically by 10 percent. So a silver plan will cover 70 percent, a gold plan 80 percent and a platinum plan I think about 90 percent."

The doctor says if you don’t sign up in the first year - there is a $95 dollar penalty.  But also – he says if you need medical care in the meantime – you will be totally responsible for your bills.

You can sign up for insurance through the online marketplace at healthcare.gov through next March.