Picking the right healthcare plan with the best access can save you time and money.(Photo: Getty Images)

Youre living during an unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, and you just lost your employer-sponsored health insurance. What do you do?

This is a question 222,000 Michiganders may have already asked themselves from February to May this year. That figure was estimated in a recent National Center for Coverage Innovationreport, which explained the number of those without health insurance in Michigan rose from 485,000 in 2018 to 707,000 or 46% during the pandemic.

The report is not perfect, but its the closest estimate we can get right now, said Samantha Iovan, a health and human services senior analyst at U-Ms Center for Health and Research Transformation.

Iovan reviewed the reports findings and found the authors counted furloughed workers as unemployed in their analysis, even though these workers may still be receiving health coverage through their employer.

The report cited estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, which predicts temporary layoffs could become permanent.

Although it may be difficult to exactly calculate how many Michiganders are uninsured as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, a recent study from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services showed that residents are avoiding the hospital, resulting in a 62% increase in out-of-hospital deaths in some cases.

Iovan believes this may stem from the fact they lack health insurance.

Both Iovan and Anita Fox, director for Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, provided tips for those who lost their employer-sponsored health insurance and or had their work hours reduced.

Answer: Discover your best coverage option

Options include:

We are fortunate we have expanded Medicaid coverage in our state, Iovan said. More people will be eligible with job losses.

Fox advised the unemployed to actquickly if they are interested in an ACA plan.

They have 60 days for the special enrollment period under the ACA or Obamacare, Fox said. If you miss that deadline, there is an enrollment period that begins Nov. 1.

I would go to Healthcare.gov, Fox added. One good thing is you cant go into the wrong portal. When you start putting in your information and youre Medicaid eligible or eligible for a Medicaid for kids program, it will direct you that way.

Answer: Eligibility often depends on income.

Medicaid is for those with limited income. It covers "low-income families, qualified pregnant women and children and those receiving Supplemental Security Income,"according to the federal website.

Those who lose their jobs are often asked if theyd like to enroll in COBRA, which allows unemployed workers to continue their health benefits for a limited amount of time.

COBRA can be expensive, Iovan said. If they just lost a source of income, I dont see that being a huge option.

The unemployed can also choose marketplace plans, which offer comprehensive coverage, with available subsidies for those who are eligible, Fox said.

Fox believes unemployed workers should weigh COBRA against a marketplace plan.

We found in a lot of instances that with the ACA coverage, subsidies may be cheaper, she explained. Approximately, 87 percent of Michiganders are entitled to some type of subsidy.

She added, You should look into that, even if you have already gotten into COBRA.

Iovan cautions that marketplace plans can also come with an expense.

Marketplace plans can be expensive if youre not eligible for a subsidy, she said.

Answer: Determine Medicaid or marketplace plan eligibility.

Those who already have a marketplace plan canseek to adjust their current plan.

If you just lost hours and but didnt lose your job all together and you were already in an ACA plan, you might be entitled to an increased subsidy amount because of your income, Fox said.

Workers who had their hours reduced are not eligible for the 60-day special enrollment period for a marketplace plan, according to Iovan.

Unless they previously had employee-sponsored health coverage that was dropped due to not being employed full time, she explained.

But there are alternatives.

The hours decrease could make them eligible for Medicaid, which they can apply for any time, Iovan said.

Michigan is in a much a better place than other states because of expanded Medicaid coverage, Iovan said. But there are still barriers for people enrolling in health coverage right now during the pandemic.

Answer: You may be avoiding the hospital or needed treatment.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests increased by 43% and deaths increased by 62% from March 15 to May 23, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The study also found the ambulance transport of stroke and heart attack patients decreased 12% and 10%, respectively.

What that tells us is that people are not seeking care for important medical issues, Iovan said. Its scary to think about people not seeking care for things like stroke and heart attack, but thats a real possibility when people dont have health insurance.

Families without health care may also be burdened by costs and may lose opportunities to get quality care, said Fox, who added health systems too can be stressed.

We know this is a time when people may be experiencing unusual health events, Fox said. Having health insurance ensures people have a way to access care without fear they wont be able to pay the costs.

To review information on different health plans, Fox recommends viewing Michigan.gov and reviewing health information.

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services offers a live call center Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Anyone with questions or concerns may call the DIFS toll-free hotline at 877-999-6442.

Contact LSJ reporter Kristan Obeng at KObeng@lsj.com or 517-267-1344. Follow her on Twitter @KrissyObeng.

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Lost your health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic? Here are your options in Michigan. - Lansing State Journal