When you have a health insurance policy in place and you end that coverage, you would usually receive a certificate of prior coverage. With that certificate, the new insurance company that you signed up with would then ask for that document to confirm you had prior coverage. In 2014 specifically, the insurance industry used the certificate to confirm your qualifying event.
This year Anthem stated that they would no longer mail out these certificates and we expect other carriers to follow suite. If a carrier can cut out additional administration cost, they will. Under the Affordable Care Act, carriers have to operate in the medical loss ratio. This means they can only use 20% of the premium for administration and profits.
Not having your certificate could create issues with qualifying events in 2015. However, you might be able to get a copy of the certificate if you have an online portal. Another option for obtaining your certificate is contacting customer service on your insurance card and asking for one.
Here at Nefouse & Associates, we will not let something like this prevent you from obtaining new coverage. We will adapt and find new ways to overcome these type of obstacles.
