Next Affordable Health Care Enrollment Period Begins

While the long-term shape and viability of the Affordable Care Act may well lie with a Republican-controlled Congress and the Supreme Court, the short-term reality is that the second, nationwide enrollment period starts this weekend.

Owen Covington, a reporter with the Triad Business Journal, writes about this health insurance window shopping  in his cover story in this week's newspaper.

He says within North Carolina there is more competition this time around. “Those shopping for coverage will find more choices than they did in year one, plus changes to the federal website that observers expect to make the enrollment process run more smoothly this year.

According to his report, 360,000 North Carolinians were able to purchase coverage on the health care exchange during the first enrollment period.

Covington explains a few changes that customers will see this time around.

“Opening the site with plan details and premiums before the start of enrollment is one key change. Another is that people can shop for plans before registering and starting the enrollment process, needing to provide only a few personal details, such as their ZIP code, age, salary and family size, along with whether they use tobacco,” says Covington.

The Business Report on 88.5 WFDD is a partnership with the Triad Business Journal. You'll find Owen Covington's story and more breaking business news at Triad.Bizjournals.com.

Justin Catanoso is director of the Journalism program at Wake Forest University and a regular contributor to 88.5 WFDD.