Your guide to getting health insurance if you missed the open enrollment deadline.

If you missed open enrollment, you may not be aware that you have options to get you and your family covered for costly medical expenses.  You may still get hit with the fine when taxes come around, but at least you'll have your health insured. Do you have a €œqualifying life event€? The government makes allowances for people who have gone through certain events.  If you have experienced a significant life change, such as losing your job or getting married, you get another chance to sign up. Here are other qualifying events: - You experienced an increase or decrease in income - You moved to another location - There was a death in the family - There were technical issues while you tried to enroll that prevented you from enrolling - You left incarceration - You gained continuing status as a member of an Indian tribe or Alaskan Native shareholder - You became an American citizen - You gained lawful presence in the U.S. - You had a child or adopted one - You got married or divorced Do you qualify for Medicaid? The ACA expanded Medicaid to cover people that it may not have covered before.  So far, 27 states have expanded their Medicaid programs.  Some more states are also looking at expanding their programs in the near future. Go to healthcare.gov to see if you can sign up for Medicaid.  Since government assistance programs don't follow a certain enrollment period, you can go to this site and sign up year round. Do you just need coverage for a short amount of time? There are also short term insurance coverage plans that can help you through a gap in your coverage.  These plans are available from 30 days to a year, typically. They don't cover preexisting conditions, but they will help you with emergency medical attention, ambulance transport, and some surgeries. Did you miss open enrollment? Contact Bell Black Insurance today! Our Rexburg, Idaho staff can help you protect your health - and your bank account - by finding alternatives for your health insurance needs.