Having medical insurance has become a necessity and not just a privilege. With the rising cost of healthcare in our country right now, many average citizens cannot afford visits to their healthcare provider on a cash-only basis.

Unfortunately, you may have realized this outside of the open enrollment period. While it may feel like you’re stuck with the options of either paying cash or waiting until the next open enrollment, that’s not always the case.

Shop For a Non-ACA Plan

Non-ACA plans are commonly referred to as short-term, private health plans. These short-term plans help to cover people until the open enrollment period opens back up. You can apply for accurate health insurance quotes outside of open enrollment to price-check these plans. It’s important to realize that these plans are not monitored or expected to comply with the Affordable Care Act standards.

People applying for this type of coverage may face certain discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or limitations as far as the base level of coverage that is offered. These programs are not recommended for the long term. However, they can be a great option to get you through until the open enrollment period opens up again.

Apply for Special Enrollment

Luckily, the special enrollment period is available for people who have undergone certain life events. Some of these life events include losing your normal healthcare coverage, getting married, raising a child, moving, or even adopting a child. If you’ve experienced one of these events recently, you may be eligible for the special enrollment period.

You must evaluate different resources to determine whether you need to apply 60 days before or 60 days following the event that happened in your life. You can find out more about the special enrollment period by going to www.healthcare.gov.

Apply for Medicaid

Certain people may qualify for Medicaid, which is free or low-cost healthcare coverage. Medicaid is awarded based on a person’s income and the size of their family. Medicaid is available in all 50 states. Medicaid is mainly set up for people who have low income, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and the elderly. It’s important to realize that even if you didn’t qualify for Medicaid in the past that you may be able to qualify now. You can check with your State’s Medicaid website or office to determine whether or not you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for Medicaid in your state.

If you have children or are a pregnant woman, you may apply for CHIP coverage. CHIP stands for Children’s Health Insurance Program. This insurance program offers low-cost health coverage for children and pregnant women and a plethora of other benefits such as food credits to use at their local grocery stores. CHIP is an excellent option for people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to purchase a private insurance plan. CHIP is commonly applied for the same way that Medicaid is applied for through your State’s website.

Finding yourself without health insurance can be a big problem. If you’ve missed the open enrollment period, you do have options. Understanding what these options are and which ones you’re eligible for is a must to ensure that you can get the medical insurance you need to cover you and your family. It’s never a good idea to just go without health insurance as the cost of medical care is continually increasing.