Health care this, health care that, it’s all anyone is talking about nowadays. And probably for good reason – the very polarizing Obamacare is set to take a big step on October 1, with states all across the country getting their own health insurance exchanges. What does this mean? Basically, if you don’t have coverage through your job or some kind of government program, you can buy your own plan through these state marketplaces. After that, the details get kind of muddled.
Different states are getting different programs. Some are run by the state, others are run by the federal government. What you, my fellow current or would-be Utahns, need to know is that the health exchange in our state is run by both – the federal government will sell insurance to individuals, while the state will be selling coverage to small businesses. Already, the government has poured $2 million into Utah’s health exchange, both promoting awareness for it and polishing some fine details, like making sure the registration website doesn’t crash on launch day (that seems kind of important).
“Some people will sign up immediately. They’re the people who actually, the Affordable Care Act is focused on, the people who have been kind of shut out from the insurance market for years and years, and this is finally their chance to get insurance,” said Jason Stevenson, a member of the Utah Health Policy Project. “It’s like Christmas for them.”
This Christmas comes more than once a year, thankfully. While registration opens on October 1, the deadline to enroll isn’t until December 15, so you have plenty of time to weigh your options and get your head wrapped around all the ins and outs of Obamacare.
Got any questions about health care in Utah or just living in Salt Lake City in general? Talk to Muve Real Estate today – we’re more than happy to help.
