Wisconsin’s high risk insurance program known as HIRSP  is ending on December 31, 2013.  This is due to one of the main provisions in the Affordable Health Care Act (more commonly known as Obamacare), which states that insurance companies are no longer able to decline or rate individuals based on pre-existing conditions.

Any policy purchased with an effective date of 1/1/2014 or later is guaranteed issue, which means no one can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. This covers all policies purchased on the Federal Marketplace at Healthcare.gov or off the marketplace.

The only difference between policies on or off the marketplace is that on the marketplace you can get federal tax credits/subsidies to lower your insurance premiums if your adjusted gross income falls in certain ranges. If you do not qualify for subsidies based on your income level, you can still purchase insurance on the marketplace, but the incentive to do so doesn’t exist for you and you may even find a better deal off the marketplace.

Anyone currently on HIRSP must complete an application for individual insurance on or off the marketplace by 12/15/2013 to have coverage by 1/1/2014.  This can be a confusing issue and we’re glad to help clear things up for you.

If you or anyone you know is currently on HIRSP, feel free to call to schedule an appointment today to review insurance options available to you.