GREETINGS! Fall is upon us; pretty leaves, crisp days and cooler nights, the smell of fireplaces and pumpkin latte, Ghosts and Goblins. And the renewal of your health insurance plans. Don’t Worry, Working Together It will Not be Scary. Step 1 Update your Marketplace Application When you enrolled for coverage via Healthcare.gov, you had the option to "Allow the Marketplace to Review Your Tax Return". If you checked that box, the Marketplace will automatically renew your premium tax credit based on your 2014 tax return. However, if your income or family status has changed - you need to update your Marketplace application. PLEASE CHECK your LOGIN & PASSWORD to be sure they work at HealthCare.gov Step 2 Use Our EXPRESS LANE to Compare & Save Let's be frank - rates are going up. The ACA is "market-driven", so let the insurance companies compete for your business. We need to review how you use health care to find the most effective plan for your needs, values and budget. Most important to review, are the doctors you use "in-network" with the insurance company. Step 3
"Bookmark" Trout Insurance http://www.troutinsurance.biz/renewal-2016.html We've created this page on our website to help you with your coverage and healthcare questions. We will be updating it frequently as we get more information.
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IRS is Sending Letters to Marketplace Customers
Consumers who received an advance premium tax credit (APTC) or cost-sharing reductions in 2014 must file their taxes in order to remain eligible for APTC in 2016. The IRS recently began sending the attached notice to consumers, to remind them of the requirement to file a federal tax return with Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, to reconcile APTC. Key Points: · Those who do not reconcile APTC will be automatically renewed without APTC in 2016 if they take no further action. · The notice provides consumers the following information: o Instructions for filing a 2014 tax return with Form 8962 using information on Form 1095-A provided by the Marketplace. o How to obtain a new Form 1095-A if needed. o The consequences of not reconciling APTC, including loss of eligibility for APTC or income-based cost-sharing reductions for coverage through the Marketplace in 2016. o A suggested timeline for electronically filing a 2014 tax return within 30 days from receipt of this IRS notice to increase the consumer’s chances of avoiding a gap in APTC. · The IRS notice to taxpayers does not clarify that a consumer may have filed taxes but did not file the correct form to reconcile ATPC. Nationwide Data on Tax Filings State-level information isn’t available at this time, but nationally: · 57% of taxpayers have not successfully reconciled their 2014 APTC as of May 31.1 o 17% of taxpayers filed their taxes but failed to file the proper form 8962, as of May 31. o 40% of taxpayers with 2014 APTC have not filed a tax return, as of May 31. More Information The IRS includes questions and answers related to failure to file and reconcile on its APTC Q&A webpage. 1 Letter to U.S. Congress from IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/CommissionerLetterlwithcharts.pdf: Accessed July 24, 2015. It’s not too late to learn more and make an informed decision about healthcare. Don’t let your premium discount tax credits go to waste and certainly don’t risk paying a fine when you could pay nothing at all. That’s right, in some cases you may pay ZERO. If you have not enrolled by February 15, you will not be able to obtain a compliant new health insurance plan until January 2016, except in a few special cases. And without coverage - you will have to pay the full cost of medical expenses for the rest of 2015. Because the new health insurance plans are Guaranteed issue – No health questions - And NO Pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations – you must Get Covered Now. You can’t buy insurance for your home if your kitchen is on fire – the same applies to health insurance after February 15. Call or email me to gain a priceless benefit. You pay no extra premium to have an agent with over 15 years of experience. I represent ALL companies on the marketplace and can guide you to the one right for your needs, value and budget. We have worked with thousands of folks with their health insurance, for just a couple of examples please click Marilyn & Richard. I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you and your family. Dave Trout returns to ABTech Thursday January 8 to lead a seminar entitled " Affordable Care Act 2.0 .......... "
We'll discuss new plans, options and opportunities for small businesses and especially their employees for this 2015 Open Enrollment Period Registration is suggested - click here: https://www.ncsbc.net/center.aspx?center=75020 And for a brief overview of the ACA / ObamaCare for 2015 - information on our website http://www.healthinsuranceplansnc.com/new-for-2015---import… Health Insurance is More than Just a Website. Now that Healthcare.gov is working well, it is relatively easy to log on, create an account and buy insurance– just like any other website selling everything from widgets to wingnuts. But knowing the insurance plans - what they cover, which doctors to use and how they will help you when you actually need health care – can be a challenge. Copays, deductibles, preventative, Rx coverage, HMO’s, PPO’s, in-network, out of network, out of pocket, tiered, local, limited, unlimited, facility fees, etc, etc. So many details, so little time !!! As an independent agent with over fifteen years experience and certified by the Insurance Marketplace – I can help you determine the insurance coverage to best meet your needs, values and budget. I know the insurance plans and how the premium discounts thru Healthcare.gov actually work. AND – you pay no additional premium or fees for my services. Be sure you are buying effective insurance - Not a box of nuts. I appreciate the opportunity to help you, your friends and family. Please forward this to folks you know whom I may be of service. As Open Enrollment for Health Insurance via the Affordable Care Act / ObamaCare started this Saturday, I knew it was time to take the plunge and get onboard. But this was new and uncharted territory for me and frankly a confusing situation. Is it a website? Or insurance? What about the tax credits and how does the premium discount work with my income? I had a lot of questions. So I called my agent Dave Trout. Since we had worked together since 2009 I knew he could help me. Dave suggested we get together on Saturday, the first day Healthcare.gov opened up. Would it be a train wreck like last year? Dave assured me everything was working well, and he should know. He’s appointed with all the insurance companies, certified by the Marketplace and helped over 400 people last year. The good news? Everything worked! I now have a plan to meet my needs at a premium to fit my budget. With Dave’s help, I now have a good understanding of how the Marketplace works and am better informed about my premium discount tax credits. It’s so refreshing to have Dave as my agent and know that he and his team will be there whenever I need them. If you need help with the ACA / ObamaCare, I highly recommend you give Dave a call. Marilyn Ball is our FIRST enrollee for 2015. She is the owner of 12Twelve Marketing, a very successful local firm, and hosts a weekly travel radio program “ Speaking of Travel “ on WZGM, 1350 AM. You may listen to past shows here. READ MORE... Keeping You Up-To-Date... Last Week To Update Your Insurance Plan Greetings! As December 15 approaches - this is the last week to update your Insurance plan and Premium thru Healthcare.gov for January 1, 2015 effective date. As you have seen in letters from Blue Cross - your insurance premium is increasing. So what to do - "Update your Premium Discount Tax Credit" thru Healthcare.gov - The Marketplace If your 2014 income is the same for 2015 - then your premium discount tax credit will increase - your net premium monthly should be just a few dollars more. The EASY way:
After you have renewed your account for January 2015 - as your certified Marketplace agent, I will see your Marketplace transaction and the update. We'll have time to provide them any other additional information such as income verification as we move into 2015. If you have already completed this - Great Work! And for those who have not - the feedback from other clients confirms this is fairly easy and their premiums for 2015 rose only slightly. NEXT STEPS... 1.Call the Health Insurance Marketplace to update your account 800-318- 2596 ( Open 24/7 ) 2.After you identify yourself - tell them you would like to update your income and Premium Tax Credit for 2015 3.Tell them your projected income for 2015 - this should be Adjusted Gross - line 37 on your 1040. 4.Important - if they ask if your income will be the same as 2013 - Say " NO " - again ask that they use your estimate for 2015. 5.They will update your eligibility and tell you what Premium Tax Credit you will receive for 2015. It should be close to the calculation above. 6.Ask that they apply this to your same plan as 2014. 7.Please email me and let me know that you were successful here. We appreciate your patience as we help all the many folks we have been so fortunate to work with as new and returning clients. Appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you. Many Thanks ....d Now that you have health coverage through the Marketplace, it’s time to review your plan and decide if you need to make changes for 2015. Every fall, your health insurance company sends you a letter explaining changes to premiums and benefits for the coming year. You can choose to stay in your current plan or make changes.
Take action by December 15, 2014 to update your account with Healthcare.gov and verify your premium tax credit and health insurance for January 1, 2015 And, not to worry, we have until Feb 15, 2015 – your changes will be effective just a little later in the year. Step 1. Review: Plans Change, People Change Every year, the insurance companies will make changes to the plan:
Consider – how did the coverage work this year? How did you use healthcare? Were you happy with your doctor? Review your plan’s 2015 coverage to make sure it still meets your needs and you’re getting the best value for plan for you. Important:
Step 2. Update Starting November 15, visit HealthCare.gov and log into your Marketplace account. Answer a few questions to get to your 2015 application – it will be pre-filled with your latest information from 2014. Step through each page of your application and make changes if you need to. This is important – even if none of your information has changed, you might be eligible for lower costs than last year!You also can call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to review or make updates over the phone. Important
Step 3. Compare Now we can compare plans for 2015 and apply your premium discount tax credit. As we get updates from the insurance companies - we'll be in touch with options. Important: As your agent, we are appointed with ALL the insurance companies. We can help you determine the best plan to meet your needs. We will help you compare plans and consider:
Step 4: Choose Choose a health plan for 2015. You can keep the same plan or select a new one that better fits your needs. If you want to stay enrolled in your 2014 plan, use the plan ID in the letter you get from your health plan. Important:
Step 5: Enroll Stay covered for 2015! Contact the insurance company to confirm your enrollment.Make sure to pay your premium. Important:
Complete all 5 steps to finish enrolling in a health plan, even if you want to stay in the same plan. This is important to get the coverage you want and the most cost savings that you’re eligible for. If you don’t finish all of the steps by December 15, the marketplace will try to enroll you automatically so you stay covered. But this coverage might not be your best option for 2015 and you could miss out on cost savings. NEED SOME HELP ? Please email Dave at dave@troutinsurance.biz Tell us which step you are on and what specific question you have. We'll be back in touch promptly. - OPENING SOON - The Health Insurance Marketplace Starting in just 11 days - Open Enrollment for 2015 Health Insurance. You may apply for new coverage, get premium discounts, avoid increased tax penalty and receive the access to health care you need. As an independent agent, appointed with all the insurance companies and certified by the Marketplace, I can help you through the process. You pay NO additional premiums and receive the benefit of my 15 years working with thousands of families and individuals like you. Great ....But what information do I need ? Click Here for your Marketplace Checklist AND.... Tune In today (Monday, Nov 3rd) at 3pm to 1350 AM WZGM. I am speaking with my friend, Leslie Godbold, about the upcoming enrollment season. |
Dave Trout
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