March 2018 - Crowe & Associates

Minimum Coverage Health Insurance for Individuals

By Ed Crowe | General Articles | 0 comment | 28 March, 2018 | 0

Minimum Coverage Health Insurance for Individuals

The following post contains information about Minimum Coverage Health Insurance for Individuals. If this is the type of insurance you would like to purchase, please use the information below to help you make an informed decision.

Minimum coverage health insurance (MEC) meets the Affordable Care Act requirements. In other words members of the MEC plans will avoid paying the “individual Mandate” penalty. This plan gives you 100% coverage if you use a First Health Network Provider. Please note: there is NO coverage for out of network providers. The Essential plans not only offer doctors visits, urgent care but emergency room coverage as well.

EBA MEC PLANS OFFER

Primary doctors visits have a cost of $25.00.

The cost for a specialist doctor visit is only $35.00.

If you require urgent care, you will pay $50.00

In the event that you require the use of the Emergency Room, you will only pay $250.00.

The Essentials MEC plan offers it’s members a copay for primary and specialist doctor visits as well as urgent care visits prior to the deductible.

This plan pays 100% of the 63 required preventive services, if you use a participating First Health Provider.
- There are 15 covered preventative services available to adults
- Women receive coverage for 22 preventative services.
- Children receive coverage for 26 preventative services.

If you would like to find a first health provider: CLICK FOR PROVIDERS

Rates and Benefits: CLICK FOR EBA ESSENTIALS BENEFITS AND RATES 2018

Additionally, This plan is available to people in all 50 states.

To access the EBA’s Enrollment Portal:

Go to essentialbenefitplans.com/enrollment

Here you can download
- Individual Applications
- Employer Aplications
- Census
- Plans’ Summary of Benefits

Access Enrollment Portal for
- Individual Clients
- Group Clients

To view Health Insurance Benefits – Click here

If you would like to learn more about these plans, you can contact the office either by phone at (203)796-5403 or by email at edward@croweandassociates.com.

Medicare Savings Program Changes CT 2018

By Ed Crowe | General Articles | 0 comment | 28 March, 2018 | 0

Medicare Savings Program Changes CT 2018

In this post we give you some valuable information about the Medicare Savings Program Changes CT 2018. We realize many of you may be confused about all the recent news of changes in eligibility and income limits. Please note: the effective date of any changes in this program has been extended until July 1, 2018 in the state of Connecticut.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are put in place to help the Medicare beneficiary pay their Part B premium. In some instances, MSPs help beneficiaries pay for Part A premiums. Usually, Part A is free, although if either the beneficiary or their spouse has not worked enough, he or she will need to pay the Part A premium.

Just to recap:

The program is not going to change until July 1, 2018. In the event that the income limits are lowered and that results in the loss of your QMB status, DSNP members will still have 90 days before you are dropped from the program. If you are being dropped you will receive a letter that explains this to you. If yo do lose your QMB Status you will no longer qualify for protection of balance bills. This means that you will be responsible for these bills as of the date that you lose your QMB coverge.

Each year in March the income limits for the MSP Program are reviewed, and usually raised. This will not change the fact that the state is going to fund the program until at least July 1.

These following income limits are effective in March 2018:

QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary):
Pays both Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and co-insurances.
QMB income limits (211% FPL):
Single person – $2,135.32/month (previously $2120.55)
Married couple – $2,894.92/month (previously $2854.83)

There is no asset limit for people who receive benefits from this program.

To Apply: You can download an application form in either English or Spanish, CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION.

Applicants may also apply by going to the Connecticut Department of Social Services office for their town.