off er family benefi ts. If you need to purchase
insurance on your own, you still need
to report your spouse’s income on your application.
Eligibility for lower costs is based
on total household income.
Are my adult children covered? If your
plan covers children, they can stay on the
policy until they turn 26. It doesn’t matter
if they are married, live apart from you, attend
school, or are eligible for an employee
plan. You can enroll your children in your
plan during the Open Enrollment Period.
What if I get pregnant? Maternity care is
an essential health benefi t, and all qualifi
ed plans must cover it, even if you are
pregnant before your coverage takes eff ect.
Upon the birth of your baby, you will qualify
for a special enrollment period which
typically lasts 60 days aft er the birth.
What if I’m divorced with children? Th e
person who has custody of the child is responsible
for that child’s health insurance.
If you and your former spouse share custody,
the person who is claiming the child
as a dependent for tax purposes should
include the child as a dependent when buying
health insurance.
Can I change my insurance plan outside
of the open enrollment period? Enrollment
in a plan outside of this time period
may be allowed during a special enrollment
period if you have a qualifying life event
(such as pregnancy, as mentioned previously).
Without having a qualifying life
event, you will have to wait until the next
open enrollment period. Th ese include:
– Change in family size (marriage, di-
vorce, child birth, adoption, death, etc.);
– Job change (loss of health coverage due
to job loss or a new job);
– Change in citizenship (you become an
American citizen, or obtain national or
legal status);
– Government error (your coverage is
changed by an error by the Health Insur-
ance Exchange or the Department of
Health and Human Services);
– New address (you move to a new state or
county, thus qualifying you for a new plan).
Keep in mind that the special enrollment
period only lasts for 60 days from the date
of the qualifying event.
Th e open enrollment period is the best time
to get all your questions about health insurance
answered. Whether you’re happy with
your current plan or would like to learn
more about all the options that are available
to you and possibly switch to a new one,
an independent health insurance agent can
help. He or she can research plans from
hundreds of companies that fi t the needs
of you and your family. Aft er all, there are
few things in life more important than your
health insurance and ensuring you and
your loved ones will be taken care of.
Keith Gleason is a Licensed Insurance
Agent, and owner of Th e Keith Gleason
Agency – representing numerous insurance
companies nationwide, they are the one-stop
shop for your health and fi nancial protection
needs. Th e Keith Gleason Agency is located
at 1021 Forestville Road in Wake Forest, and
both in-offi ce and virtual appointments are
available. Contact Keith at 207-975-3547
or keith.gleason16@gmail.com for your
health insurance quote.
CIRCA Magazine | October • November • December 2020 | www.circamagazine.com 55
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