PITTSBURGH (PRWEB)
December 16, 2019

Highmark is notifying eligible individuals that the time to shop for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been extended, with the new deadline to enroll in coverage that begins on Jan. 1, 2020 coming at 3 AM EST on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

“For individuals who don’t have access to health insurance through their employer or who don’t qualify for Medicaid, this extended deadline provides more time to take action and sign up for an ACA plan,” said Mark Nave, senior vice president of individual and small group products for Highmark.

“One of the largest benefits from the passing of the ACA was that it broadened access to health insurance for people who aren’t covered through their job, make too much for Medicaid or couldn’t get covered because they have pre-existing conditions,” he said.

“We encourage individuals in those situations to go to myhighmarkplans.com and shop for a plan that fits their needs before the new deadline of December 18,” Nave said. “It’s important to look not only at the monthly premiums, but to check the network of doctors and hospitals to make sure local, high-quality providers are in your network.”

For 2020, Highmark has introduced new products in western, central, and northeastern PA; lowered premiums; and expanded into new areas. Many plans feature $0 copays on the care members use the most, including two free PCP visits, two free mental health/substance abuse visits, and free telemedicine visits. Most ACA plans even include $0 copays for certain commonly used prescription medications.

Highmark has introduced a new ACA product called Together Blue. This new product offers residents of Allegheny, Washington and Erie Counties lower-cost access to Allegheny Health Network (AHN) doctors and hospitals. This new offering is in addition to Highmark’s other products which include broader access to community provider partners and, for some products, UPMC doctors. Highmark products offer access to UPMC Children’s Hospital.

“AHN is expanding and building new facilities across the region and focusing on bringing care out into the community,” Nave said. “This is bringing access to quality care to more and more locations and to more and more people.”

Together Blue includes plans that offer members free telemedicine services through AHN and American Well, $0 copays for all Tier 1 drugs, $0 copays for preventive vaccines as well as adult vision and dental coverage.

The Together Blue Care Advantage product also offers lower copays for specialist visits and drugs to help members with Congestive Heart Failure, COPD and diabetes better manage their conditions.

“The critical message for consumers as we approach the deadline is to go to http://www.healthcare.gov and shop for coverage that fits their budget and that offers access to the doctors and hospitals that they want. They can also shop directly with Highmark at myhighmarkplans.com,” Nave said. “The most important thing is to get covered.”

About Highmark Inc.

One of America’s leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work passionately to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable, and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers. As the fourth-largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization, Highmark Inc. and its Blue-branded affiliates proudly cover the insurance needs of more than 4.4 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit http://www.highmark.com.

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