Here’s How West Virginians Can Sign Up Or Renew Obamacare Plans

CHARLESTON, WV — Republicans are still promising to “repeal and replace Obamacare,” but after a series of failures, the health care law remains in force. As of Nov. 1, the federal government’s “open enrollment” period for Obamacare — also known as the Affordable Care Act — has begun.

People who don’t have health coverage or those who need to renew their plans in the individual market for 2018 can now sign up.

Under the law, each state had the opportunity to set up their own marketplace to sell health insurance plans that are subsidized for people with low and or middle incomes. Some states chose to set up their own marketplaces, while others direct their residents to use the federal website to enroll. West Virginia, like 17 other states, has a federally facilitated marketplace. West Virginia works with insurers to make sure the plans are in compliance with the law.

To see where you should go to shop for plans and sign up in your state, visit HealthCare.gov and enter your ZIP code. The enrollment period ends on Dec. 15.

Under Obamacare, people cannot be turned down for insurance or charged more because they have pre-existing conditions.

The Trump administration — which intends to push for repealing Obamacare after Congress finishes with tax reform — has shortened the enrollment period to only six weeks, down from three months last year. It also announced that for 12 hours on most Sundays during the enrollment period, HealthCare.gov will be shut down for maintenance, which will further reduce the amount of time people will have to sign up for health insurance.

Additionally, advertising for the enrollment period, which helps people who don’t know how or when to sign up, has been slashed by about 90 percent by the Department of Health and Human Services this year.

Insurance premiums associated with the federal health care law are indeed rising. The consulting firm Avalere Health determined last week that premiums for the most popular "Obamacare" plans are going up an average of 34 percent.

But the firm found that the Trump administration's actions are contributing to the price increases by adding instability to the underlying problems of the health law's marketplaces. Avalere said market instability is driven by Trump's recent decision to end subsidy payments to insurers, the continued debate over repeal and replace, and a presidential executive order that could pave the way for lower-cost plans outside of the Obama-era law.

Cody Fenwick and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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