Dr. Doug Olson asks patient William Ness, 70, how he is feeling after his wife drove him to the emergency room and he was diagnosed with flu, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018.
Robert Ray / AP Photo
The deadline for Pennsylvanians to enroll in Pennie health insurance is Jan. 15
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Sarah Boden/WESA
Robert Ray / AP Photo
Dr. Doug Olson asks patient William Ness, 70, how he is feeling after his wife drove him to the emergency room and he was diagnosed with flu, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018.
Pennsylvanians have until Jan. 15 to purchase their 2024 health coverage on Pennie, the state-based insurance exchange.
Pennie insurance is a common option for people who don’t have employer-based coverage and who aren’t enrolled in a government program, such as Medicaid. Plans sold on Pennie must comply with the Affordable Care Act, which means they cover certain types of care including preventive, laboratory and emergency services, along with prescription drugs.
Pennsylvanians won’t be able enroll in Pennie coverage after the Jan. 15 deadline, unless they have a qualifying life event, such as a job loss or divorce, or if they make no more than 150% of the federal poverty level.
“Open enrollment is the only time of year to ensure you are protecting yourself for 2024,” said Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley. “Waiting until you are sick or injured to look for health coverage will be too late.”
Coleman Drake, a health care economist at the University of Pittsburgh, said that premiums on Pennie are going up by nearly 4% in 2024. However, most people won’t see this price increase because they qualify for subsidies.
“When you receive subsidies, the size of the premiums increase, whether it’s 4% or 40%, or 200%, largely does not matter for people that receive subsidies,” said Drake.
Pennie reports that nearly 9 out of 10 people with insurance through Pennie qualify for financial assistance. The reason so many qualify for subsidies is because of the American Rescue Plan Act, which passed in 2021. It caps the amount an individual will pay in premiums at 8.5% of their household income.
This year, more than 370,000 Pennsylvanians were insured through Pennie.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
