The following message is from Lakewood Bikur Cholim:

Open Enrollment for private health insurance closes this Sunday, December 15th. If you are considering enrolling any member of your family who needs private insurance on a plan, you must enroll by December 15th, or you will not be able to do so until next year (unless you have a qualifying event).

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR FAMILIES ON MEDICAID/JERSEY CARE: For most families, Medicaid HMO coverage is sufficient. However, the current Medicaid HMO networks have some gaps and may not meet your specific need.

WHY THE CONCERN NOW? The State is no longer allowing new members to join the United Healthcare HMO. Additionally, existing members have been switching, as many local providers are no longer in the UHC network. This means that other Medicaid HMOs are the new options for the community. They are working hard to build their networks, but building a full and proper supportive network of doctors and facilities can take a number of years. Many Medicaid members have become quite comfortable getting top notch renowned care on their Medicaid plan. Many of them must face a new reality – the new HMO plans do not have the same extensive networks that they have become accustomed too.

It is strongly recommended to evaluate your current coverage now before the open enrollment deadline. Take stock as to whether any member of the family has special needs/specialists that are not available on the Medicaid HMO networks, and consider whether it may be worthwhile to obtain other insurance for that family member. Again, this must be done by December 15th.

We urge the community to take the time to properly research all Medicaid HMO networks before signing up or switching, in order to ensure that the HMO that you are choosing has adequate doctors and hospitals to meet your family’s needs. Do not choose an HMO solely based on who is sitting at the table in your doctor’s office.