Open Enrollment Period on Health Insurance Marketplace

Eagle Times Staff
WATERBURY, VT — Wednesday, Nov. 1, marks the beginning of the Open Enrollment period for Vermont’s health insurance marketplace. This is the time Vermonters can sign up for or change their health and dental plans for 2024.

This year’s Open Enrollment is especially important for Vermonters who may have lost Medicaid coverage or otherwise became uninsured in the last year. Even though they can sign up at any time, the tools and resources available for Open Enrollment make this the perfect opportunity to shop for a plan and take advantage of expanded financial help.

Vermonters can save money on the amount they pay for plans, called premiums, if they qualify and sign up on the health insurance marketplace, also known as Vermont Health Connect. More than 90 percent of people who are enrolled through Vermont Health Connect qualify for financial help. Thousands of Vermonters now pay less than $25 a month for coverage through the marketplace.

“Health care costs and medical debt are a real concern for many in our state. It’s important that Vermonters know about Vermont Health Connect, how easy it is to get a plan and how much less they’ll pay than if they were to buy the same plan directly from an insurance company,” said Jenney Samuelson, secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Human Services.

The department has made complicated information about health insurance easy to share using its “Vermont Communications Toolkit for 2024 Open Enrollment” found online at tinyurl.com/36t3wjdu.

“We’re proud to reach the milestone of the 10th anniversary of the start of the health insurance marketplace, and further the department’s mission to improve Vermonters’ health and well-being by providing access to high-quality, cost-effective health care. Thousands of Vermonters now have access to affordable health coverage and now is the time to sign up,” said Andrea De La Bruere, commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, which operates Vermont’s health insurance marketplace.

It’s best to sign up by Friday, Dec. 15, to ensure coverage throughout all of 2024. Coverage will begin on Feb. 1, 2024, for people who enroll between Dec. 16, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024, the final day of the Open Enrollment period.

Vermonters who want to learn more can join the Department of Vermont Health Access’ Open Enrollment Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 12 p.m. at bit.ly/2024VHC1. Learn more by visiting tinyurl.com/yc4jv9km, calling the Customer Support Center at 855-899-9600 or contacting an in-person Assister.