Participation in this year’s open registration for
“It’s really important for consumers who were on Healthcare.gov to understand that they need to upgrade to beWellnm for 2022 coverage,” said
BeWellnm is the official state health insurance stock exchange. It exists to help individuals and small businesses to
Manring encourages beWellnm participants to reconfirm their accounts and reassess their coverage upon open enrollment. New Mexicans may qualify for additional financial assistance in the form of insurance premiums in 2022 through emergency pandemic funding from the federal government.
Additionally, with Healthcare.gov’s move to bewellnm.com, registrants who do not confirm their account during open enrollment are at risk of losing coverage, the CEO of beWellnm said.
“Let’s say someone comes in January, hasn’t reconfirmed all of this. Well, they’re going to hear from us to make sure they log on and get that coverage,” Bustamante said.
Plans through beWellnm are available to all New Mexicans who are not insured by an employer, Medicare or Medicaid, and the time to re-enroll – or to enroll for the first time – begins.
In addition to the website, people can start through an in-person event, a virtual event, or over the phone.
“It’s just a matter of that consumer’s comfort level,” Manring said. “There are a lot of different ways.”
Registration ends
“We are delighted to be giving New Mexicans a little more time to make this decision,” Manring said.
But, to get coverage that begins on
The extended deadline serves everyone who wants coverage at the start of the year, but also meets the needs of people who want a little more time to assess their financial situation, Bustamante said.
An estimated 95,000 New Mexicans are eligible for health insurance coverage on beWellnm. Bustamante said around 43,000 are currently enrolled.
The move to a fully state-run program means that navigation assistance in the exchange will no longer come from a federal call center, but from within the state, according to Bustamante.
“When they call they get help with their application or throughout the process they will hear from New Mexicans,” Bustamante said. “They are going to talk to New Mexicans.”
BeWellnm will also have local control when reconciling payment and application issues or when assisting individuals transitioning from exchange coverage to Medicaid.
In the long run, the change should save money for
“This is one of the most exciting parts of it,” Bustamante said. “… We were able to negotiate contracts with our supplier that are really very competitive, at a lower price than what we were paying for Healthcare.gov at the time.”
BeWellnm remains a resource for advice on how to enroll and for knowledge of available financial aid, Manring said. People just need to spend some time studying it.
“They really need to take this opportunity to look to get a quote, understand and compare plans and options for next year,” Manring said.
NM Post Health Insurance Exchange Goes Local First Appeared On
