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Honoring Her Son by Continuing Support Group
Open Enrollment: It’s Not Too Early To Weigh Insurance Options
Every health insurance plan has an open enrollment period to review your health insurance benefits and make changes for the upcoming year without a penalty.
It’s especially important for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) to review your plan and note changes your insurance company might be making. If you take oral medication, pay attention to the drug formulary for the upcoming year. A formulary lists what drugs a plan covers and how much patients are responsible for. Formularies change frequently.
Dates to know
MARKETPLACE In most states, the open enrollment period for the individual health insurance marketplace begins Tuesday, Nov. 1. To get coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2023, the last day to enroll is Thursday Dec. 15, 2022.
However, many states have extension periods, so check your state’s website. Visit healthcare.gov to learn more or apply for Marketplace insurance plans. Find a list of state-specific deadlines at obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-
open-enrollment.
Don’t miss out
In 2020, more than 11 million Americans were eligible for Marketplace financial assistance and didn’t receive it. If you’re enrolling in a Marketplace healthcare plan, check whether your individual or household income level qualifies you for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reduction subsidies. Premium tax credits are available to those with annual incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
MEDICARE
Medicare recipients can join, switch, or drop a plan Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch plans or back to original Medicare within between Jan. 1 and Mar. 31. Visit medicare.gov/plan-compare to learn about various Medicare plan options and determine which plan is best for you.
MEDICAID AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP)
Enrollment is year-round for Medicaid and CHIP plans. Eligibility varies by state and often depends on income level, age, disability and other factors, such as whether an applicant is pregnant or has children. Learn more at healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip.
EMPLOYER AND COMMERCIAL PLANS
If you receive insurance through your employer or private entity, check your plan details or ask your human resources department for enrollment dates. Review your plan at the appropriate time to stay apprised of changes to your coverage.
If you’re buying health insurance for yourself outside of your state’s health insurance marketplace, be alert for seemingly inexpensive plans that aren’t. Many of these plans place responsibility for most costs on patients or don’t cover essential benefits.
Have questions about open enrollment or choosing your benefits plan? Check out PHAssociation.org/
patients/insurance-and-treatment-
access. For one-on-one support to review your plan options, the Patient Advocate Foundation offers services for people with serious or chronic illnesses. Call 800-532-5271 or visit patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-medcarelines.
Thanks to Janssen Pharmaceuticals for its 2022 support of PHA’s Treatment Access Program.
Watch for Our Webinars
Have questions about insurance? Tune in to PHA’s open enrollment webinars in October. PHA’s Jaeger Spratt will host the first webinar and Danielle Burkett of Duke University Hospital will present the last three.
Danielle is a certified medical assistant for Duke’s Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, working with insurance companies and specialty pharmacies to get PH medication approved for her patients. She also helps patients secure financial assistance to their medications.
Webinar topics: • Oct. 6: Intro to Open
Enrollment • Oct. 13: Medicare Overview • Oct. 20: Medicare Tips and
Troubleshooting • Oct. 27: Ask the Experts
PHA Advocates Drive Support for Safe Step Act
Thanks to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) and PHA advocates, the Safe Step Act now has increased sponsorship in the House of Representatives and Senate.
The legislation, known as House Resolution 2163 and Senate bill 464, would help patients get the exact medicine their doctors prescribed, rather than having to try less expensive treatments first. The steps are designed to save money for insurance companies. However, the delays can cause negative health outcomes for people with complex health conditions like pulmonary hypertension (PH).
In June, advocates pushed for the bipartisan bill to receive a committee hearing and mark-up. An advocacy challenge at PHA 2022 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions urged the PH community to send 500 messages to Congress calling for a vote on the Safe Step Act this year.
Surpassing the goal, the community sent 829 messages to 198 legislative offices. The messages came from people in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
In May, PHA advocates met with their legislators’ staff for World PH Day. The advocates urged lawmakers to support PHA’s legislative priorities, including the Safe Step Act. At least one member of Congress, Rep. John Larson (R-Conn.), co-sponsored the bill as a result of the meetings.
Monica Penaranda helped arrange legislative meetings for advocates in her state.
“I couldn’t be happier with how our meetings went, especially with [Rep. Mark DeSaulnier]’s office,” said Monica, a support group leader and member of PHA’s Board of Trustees and Advocacy Committee. DeSaulnier, a Democratic representative from California, chairs the House Education and Labor committee, which is considering the Safe Step Act.
Says Monica: If we speak out together, we can help our community. We have the power to make a difference.”
To add your voice to PHA’s efforts, tell your own legislators how the Safe Step Act would affect you or your loved ones. Visit PHA’s Action Center at PHAssociation.org/advocate. Or call 301-565-3004, x758 or email Advocacy@PHAssociation.org to learn how to get involved.
QUICKTAKES
PHA Annual Report Available Online
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) recently published its 2021 Annual Report. The report is available for the first time as a digital-only publication. The report reflects PHA’s achievements during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic virus. Despite the challenges, the report acknowledges PHA’s proudly patient-focused, patientdriven history – and its impact and momentum into the future.
The PHA Annual Report celebrates the association’s strides to fulfill its mission to extend and improve the lives of those affected by pulmonary hypertension (PH). The report shows PHA’s impact through research, education, support and advocacy through stories of people with PH, caregivers and health care providers. View the report at PHAssociation.org/accountability.
Join New Group for People with PH and HHT
Do you have HHT? The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) created a new Facebook group with Cure HHT. The new group is for people with PH and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). The genetic disorder, also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu, causes blood vessel abnormalities. The abnormalities often cause excessive bleeding of the organs. The most common symptom is nose bleeds. HHT affects about 1.4 million people, according to Cure HHT. Learn more at PHAssociation.org/support.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association won a silver EXCEL award for “Navigating Pulmonary Hypertension” from the Software & Information Industry Association AM&P Network. The EXCEL awards recognize excellence and leadership in association media, publishing, marketing and communications. “Navigating Pulmonary Hypertension: A Guide for Newly Diagnosed Patients” is designed to help people with PH and their loved ones find answers, support and hope after diagnosis. The book includes resources, questions for health care professionals, and tips to connect with support networks and participate in research. It address day-to-day issues related to PH. Order your free copy of Navigating PH at PHAssociation.org/newlydiagnosed.
HOW TO REACH US
TEL 301-565-3004 | FAX 301-565-3994 EMAIL PHA@PHAssociation.org WEB PHAssociation.org
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
OCT. 6
Webinar: Intro to Open Enrollment Online
OCT. 8
Philly O₂breathe Walk South Street Headhouse District
OCT. 13
Webinar: Open Enrollment Medicare Overview Online
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
Webinar: Open Enrollment Medicare Tips and Troubleshooting Online
NOV. 5
Central California O₂breathe Walk The Parc Fresno
Monrovia (California) O₂ Breathe Walk
NOV. 9
CTEPH Awareness Day Online
NOV. 17
Advocacy Day of Action Online
PHacing
THE FUTURE DAY by DAY
PHA thanks its national fundraising-event sponsors for their generous support:
OCT. 21
Driving Fore a Cure Riverwood Golf Course Clayton, North Carolina
OCT. 27
Webinar: Open Enrollment Ask the Experts Online
NOVEMBER
PHA Awareness Month Online
NOV. 29
Giving Tuesday Online
SEPT. 28-30, 2023 PHPN Symposium Arlington, Virginia
JUNE 27-30, 2024
PHA 2024 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions Indianapolis
DIAMOND
PLATINUM
VIRTUAL FUNDRAISERS
Visit PHAssociation.org/pha- fundraising-events to find a fundraising event in your area.
QUESTIONS? Contact us at 240-485-0762 or events@PHAssociation.org.
