CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Nov 11, 2013) - GoHealthInsurance.com, the leading online health insurance exchange, is helping consumers shop for insurance as early as today, despite the recent news of glitches with the federal government. GoHealth is awaiting the federal data hub to being enrolling people in health insurance plans effective in 2014.
As per the individual mandate, Americans must obtain insurance by March 31 in order to avoid paying a penalty. Due to old plans expiring, it is expected that a rush of people will try to obtain insurance before New Year's Day. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2012, over 47 million Americans were uninsured and many of them are waiting on the federal government to give them the ability to enroll in 2014 plans.
Consumers can expedite the process by shopping now and sending their plan choices through when the glitch is fixed. With the help of GoHealth, even though people cannot yet officially enroll, they can research and prepare so when the time comes, they will be only have one step left: clicking the "enroll" button.
Steps that consumers can take immediately at GoHealth while waiting for the system to open include:
- Determining one's eligibility for tax credit or subsidies.
- 45.4% of individuals are eligible for subsidies, 52.3% of families are eligible.
- Calculating an accurate subsidy estimate.
- Viewing quotes online with the subsidy applied to all premiums.
- Comparing all available plans and narrowing all options down to the few that make the most sense.
- Choosing the best plan with help from licensed advisors available via chat or over the phone.
"People keep hearing all about the glitches in the system, when in reality, enrollment is the very last and easiest step of the process. While these glitches are being fixed, consumers can still be proactive and research their options, compare and discuss them with their families, and make a final decision on which plan to purchase," says Michael Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at GoHealth. "GoHealth can help with this right now and get people enrolled quickly once the federal government is ready."
GoHealth has built a shopping and enrollment process leveraged by 30 million people and is trusted by some of the largest brands including H&R Block (26 million tax consumers) and Walgreens (100 million insurance targets). GoHealth offers chat and phone support available 8am to 8pm with more than 700 licensed agents standing by to answer consumers' questions and get them ready for enrollment. For consumers who need coverage immediately, GoHealth can help them find short-term coverage or plans that are effective in 2013.
Mahoney urges consumers not to wait. "Many consider health insurance the second biggest purchase in life outside of a mortgage. They shouldn't hold off until the website is fixed to start asking questions and researching plans."
For additional information or to shop for 2014 health insurance coverage, please visit www.gohealthinsurance.com
About GoHealthInsurance:
GoHealthInsurance and its customer-facing website GoHealthInsurance.com is a health insurance technology platform, working with over 300 health insurance carriers and more than 10,000 licensed agents across the United States. Since the company's founding in 2001, the GoHealth platform has helped nearly 30 million Americans shop and compare health insurance quotes.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Anna Brodetsky
5W Public Relations
(646) 430-5146