The State of New Jersey
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
search  

Home > Department Press Releases/Newsletters/Reports

News Release

New Jersey Department of
Banking and Insurance


Acting Commissioner Marlene Caride

For Immediate Release:
February 8, 2018

For Further Information:
Marshall McKnight (609) 292-5064

En Español

New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Notifies Puerto Rico
and U.S. Virgin Islands Individuals Displaced by Hurricanes of
Special Enrollment Period for 2018 Healthcare Insurance Benefits

TRENTON — Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Marlene Caride today notified individuals who relocated to New Jersey after they were affected by the recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that the deadline to enroll in an individual health benefits plan has been extended through March 31, 2018.

“New Jersey has a responsibility to provide its residents with the information necessary to access affordable quality healthcare. The Department of Banking and Insurance wants to do everything we can to help those who have suffered significant losses following the devastating hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands last fall,” said Acting Commissioner Caride. “We must ensure that the people impacted by the hurricanes who have relocated to New Jersey have ample opportunity to obtain health insurance coverage. Having adequate healthcare is a key part of the disaster recovery process.”

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an exceptional circumstances Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for individuals affected by the 2017 hurricanes that permits enrollment in individual health benefits plans outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period. Today’s announcement, published by the Department in a Bulletin to health carriers and all other interested parties, calls attention to the exceptional circumstance SEP for those individuals who have relocated to New Jersey from hurricane damaged areas in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Qualified individuals who relocated to New Jersey due to the 2017 hurricanes, but were not able to complete an application for a 2018 individual health benefits plan during the open enrollment period, or who need to now change their plan, may do so through March 31, 2018. This special enrollment period also provides an opportunity for individuals affected by the 2017 hurricanes who enrolled during the Annual Open Enrollment to review their plan selection and change to a different plan, if they wish.

Since healthcare.gov and the carrier websites contain information regarding the usual circumstances that allow a special enrollment period and may not be updated to include this additional opportunity, individuals seeking to enroll through this exceptional circumstance should enroll by phone. If applying through the Marketplace, these individuals should call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 and state that they are using this exceptional circumstance special enrollment period. If applying outside the Marketplace, these individuals should call the carrier directly. Phone numbers for all carriers selling individual plans in New Jersey are available at www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/ihcseh/ihccarriers.htm.

Consumers may go to the Department’s website to find tools to help with their decision at: www.dobi.nj.gov/ihc/. The website has a 2018 Buyer’s Guide, a guide that answers the question “Which individual health insurance plan is best for you?” and the monthly rates for all individual plans.

The Department is reminding carriers of their obligation to provide the exceptional circumstance special enrollment period to persons who relocated to New Jersey from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands following the fall hurricanes. Consumers who experience difficulty in obtaining coverage pursuant to this exceptional circumstance special enrollment period may contact the Department for assistance at 1-800-446-7467 or call 609-292-7272.

Interested parties may read the Bulletin at www.state.nj.us/dobi/bulletins/blt18_02.pdf.

To request or file a complaint with the Department call or go online at www.state.nj.us/dobi/consumer.htm

###
 
OPRA
OPRA is a state law that was enacted to give the public greater access to government records maintained by public agencies in New Jersey.
line
Adobe Acrobat
You will need to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to correctly view and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files from this web site.
state seal
Copyright © 2011, State of New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance