If you enroll in a marketplace plan on or before Dec. 15, 2023, coverage will begin on Jan. 1, 2024. If you enroll in a plan after Dec. 16, 2023, coverage will begin on Feb. 1, 2024.
From now until August, you can sign up for or change coverage through the federal and state health insurance marketplaces. Many people are eligible for better or less expensive plans — or both.
Whether you're looking for coverage online or through a broker, be sure to note the difference between a comprehensive health plan and a "junk" plan with limited benefits and coverage restrictions.
Anyone with lingering effects of COVID-19 should be extra careful in picking a 2021 health plan, specialists say. You now have a "pre-existing condition" that could increase medical expenses in 2021.