If you don't see your plan, it may not be an error.
Insurance companies revisit which plans they offer every year. Some stay, some are discontinued, and sometimes a company stops selling in a certain area altogether. This is a routine part of how health insurance works in the United States, and we help a lot of people through it every year. If you were happy with your plan, having to choose again is frustrating. We're here to help. Here's what's happening and what you can do next.
The short version
Your current coverage keeps working until the end date on the notice your insurance company sends you.
You'll pick a new plan ahead of time, so your new coverage starts when your current plan ends.
You'll get your options and your deadline in writing before you have to act.
You can't be turned down for a new plan because of your health.
If that's all you needed, you're done. Keep reading if you want to know why this happens.
Why this happens
Every year insurance companies decide which plans to sell, where to sell them, and what to charge.
They have to set next year's prices before they know who's going to sign up or how much care those people will need. They're making an educated guess a year or more ahead of time, and then they're locked into it. When the numbers don't hold, the plan comes off the shelf.
Sometimes it's simpler than that. An agreement with a hospital ends, several near-identical plans get folded into one, or a company shifts its focus to different regions or types of coverage.
It happens every year because that's how the system is built. In most places, health insurance rates are filed and reviewed annually, so every year brings a fresh set of decisions, and some plans don't make the cut.
This happens with traditional group insurance people get through their job too, when employers change insurance companies, redesign benefits, or change which doctors are covered. You just didn't usually see it until you called to make an appointment. With Thatch, you find out ahead of time and you pick a new plan that works best for you.
Who decides this?
The insurance company makes these decisions. In most states, regulators review those prices before the plans go live.
Thatch doesn't decide any of that. We don't set prices and we don't choose which plans are offered. What we do is help you find the best plan available for your situation and get you enrolled in it. When a plan goes away, we go through the plans available in your area and help you find the one that fits you best.
Did this happen because of me?
No. This isn't about you specifically. These decisions get made by looking at an entire plan, thousands of people at once, not at any one person's health or claims. Singling someone out that way isn't allowed.
Three kinds of changes
What happened | What it means |
A plan is discontinued | The company still sells in your area, but this specific plan won't be sold for the upcoming plan year. Their other plans in your area are still options. |
A partial exit | The company is stepping back from certain areas or certain kinds of coverage, but still selling elsewhere. Depending on where you live, their plans may or may not still be an option. |
A full exit | The company isn't selling in your area for the upcoming plan year, so you'd choose from a different insurance company. |
All three land in the same place: you pick a new plan, and you get help doing it.
When would this take effect?
Mostly at the start of a new plan year, which for individual coverage is usually January 1. Open enrollment, the yearly window when you can pick a new plan, typically opens in early November.
Until then, your current plan keeps working. You can use it the same way you do today for the rest of your plan year, and if anything about it does change, your insurance company has to tell you.
Occasionally a plan ends mid-year instead. If that happens, you'd get advance notice and a special enrollment period, which is a window to pick new coverage outside of open enrollment.
What you can do next
Make a list of what you actually use. Your doctors, your prescriptions, and what you expect to spend over the whole year, not just what you pay each month. You can do this now.
Check whether your enrollment window is open. If it is, your new plan choices are ready to view in Thatch. If it isn't open yet, your notice will tell you when it starts.
Watch for your deadline. It'll be in your notice. Start as soon as you have it so you're not deciding at the last minute.
Need more support?
During open enrollment you can schedule a call with a licensed enrollment advisor and go through your options one-on-one, at no cost.
If you have questions in the meantime, Ask Thatch can answer any time of day, and you can always reach us at .support@thatch.com
This article provides general guidance about using Thatch and is for informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, or benefits advice. For guidance specific to your business, your circumstances, or the compliance and legal requirements that apply to you, please consult a qualified professional.