While states prepare for the next Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, Virginia lawmakers say they're not happy that almost a quarter of a million Virginians who are already insured are learning—or about to find out—that their current insurance policy will no longer be in effect.
Many are current individual policyholders whose health plans don't meet ACA mandates, but an effort is also underway to make policy start and end dates more uniform. Republican State Senator Frank Wagner finds this to be quite disturbing.
Virginia Association of Health Plans Executive Director Doug Gray acknowledges Wagner's concerns. He explains that one of the challenges for individual policyholders will be designing a plan to satisfy the federal exchange’s requirements. Gray says network offerings within the exchange will be narrower than those outside. Gray also says if you are already in an ACA plan, you will NOT see a significant rate increase.
The open enrollment period will begin November 15th and end February 15th.