The Diamondback - A Picture of (Future) Good Health

Op-Ed

By Steny Hoyer

On Oct. 1, open enrollment began for the Maryland Health Connection, a new online insurance marketplace where eligible students and recent graduates -- among others -- can now access quality, affordable health insurance. Like other online insurance marketplaces established across the country as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Maryland Health Connection offers a range of plans to meet the different needs and varied budgets of consumers, and for those who enroll by Dec. 18, coverage will begin Jan. 1.

Thanks to a concerted effort by Gov. Martin O'Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and many other state and local officials, hundreds of thousands of state residents who are uninsured or find their current health plan too expensive can visit the Maryland Health Connection, compare plans and sign up for affordable coverage. And there are many reasons why students will benefit from checking out the Maryland Health Connection online today.

Those who visit the site will be able to comparison-shop among the different plans and see if they are eligible for tax credits to help further reduce the cost of insurance. State residents who meet certain income requirements will benefit from approximately $7.5 billion in these tax credits. Additionally, those who visit the site will be able to determine if they are eligible for public health programs such as Medicaid.

Next year alone, the Affordable Care Act is expected to provide 280,000 more people in our state with access to health insurance coverage. And everyone with health insurance will benefit from the new protections the law provides to consumers. These include a ban on charging women higher premiums than men for the exact same coverage and an end to arbitrary annual and lifetime limits on coverage and dropping patients when they become sick. Insurance companies have already been required to stop denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, and this protection will be extended to everyone starting in January.

Young Americans are already benefiting from the Affordable Care Act's insurance reforms, as they can now remain insured through a parent's plan until age 26. And they also have access to affordable care through the Maryland Health Connection. This creates two great options for recent graduates who are no longer eligible to be covered through the university's Student Health Insurance Plan and may not have an immediate offer of employer-sponsored insurance. Young people now have the freedom to seek their first jobs without the fear of having to go without insurance coverage.

These are among the many reasons why I am encouraging Maryland students and recent graduates to visit www.marylandhealthconnection.com to check out the many coverage options available, compare plans and enroll today. You can also call 1-855-MHC-8572 for more information or to speak with a "Navigator," whose job is to help explain how the Maryland Health Connection works, the different coverage options and how to sign up.

There is no reason why any state resident should have to worry about accessing and affording quality health care. The Maryland Health Connection offers real choices at competitive prices.

Health care reform is moving our country forward, and -- for the sake of the millions who will benefit nationwide -- we're not going to turn the clock back.

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