Today marks the beginning of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act's online health insurance marketplace.Despite federal policy changes and higher premiums, Kate Ende of Consumers for Affordable Health Care says tax credits and subsidies are also increasing.
"So the bottom line for most consumers isn't going to change," Ende says. "In fact, Maine is one of many states where marketplace consumers can see a net decrease for the lowest cost bronze, silver, and gold plans."
Barbara Leonard of the Maine Health Access Foundation is urging consumers to start evaluating their options right away because the Trump administration has cut the enrollment period in half - to just six weeks.
“Because of the various policy changes in Washington, it's really important that anybody who is signing up for insurance check the plans," Leonard says. "Don't just keep the plan that you had last year.”
In the past, silver-level plans often had the best value, but Leonard says this year some bronze-level plans offer no-cost premiums.
