Life is unpredictable. Through the ups and downs, in sickness and in health, having reliable health insurance is a lifeline to living well.
Through BeWell, you can find an affordable plan with the coverage your household needs, from preventative to emergency care and through every milestone life brings. Whether you are getting health insurance for the first time or switching back to a private plan, our Certified Assisters are here to help you get coverage at every stage of your busy life.
Big Insurance Milestones
When you turn 26, you age out of your parents’ health insurance coverage. That means it is time to get your own plan—and BeWell is a great place to start if you aren’t eligible for Medicaid or if job-related coverage isn’t an option.
Getting health insurance for the first time can be confusing. Our Certified Assisters are trained to answer all your questions. And to make your choice even easier, you can find Clear Cost Health Insurance Plans on the BeWell marketplace. These plans explain benefits and coverage in clear, simple language so you can easily understand what your plan covers and doesn’t.
That’s helpful when you are ready to expand your coverage—say, when you get married or have a child. You may need a plan that covers family planning, maternal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, and pediatric services. As your family grows, so does the need for preventative and routine care.
Preventative and Routine Care
Preventative care includes services to prevent sickness or spot it early, such as vaccinations, screenings, and annual checkups. Routine care involves regular health visits and treatments for chronic conditions. All plans through BeWell cover 10 essential preventative and routine services:
- Outpatient care
- Emergency services
- Inpatient care
- Maternity and newborn care
- Mental health and substance use disorder services
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
- Laboratory services
- Preventive, wellness and chronic disease management services
- Pediatric services, such as kids’ wellness exams
Some plans also cover additional services to help you stay healthy, including:
- Chronic condition care: Management and treatment for long-term illnesses, such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or hypertension.
- Fitness benefits: Are you a cyclist, runner, or gym rat? Some plans available through BeWell cover fitness-related expenses, such as gym membership fees.
- LGBTQ+ care: Many plans available on the BeWell marketplace cover gender-affirming care, and some cover services such as hormone replacement therapy.
Review the details of your plan and ask a BeWell Certified Assister to help you understand what the plan does and does not cover. Each plan comes with a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), which breaks down the details of your plan.
Health insurance plans available through BeWell also work at Tribal Health/Native clinics. When your insurance pays for your care, the clinic can use that funding to help take care of others in your community.
Related reading: Need Insurance? A Guide to Understanding Your Enrollment Options
Unexpected and Emergency Care
Getting health insurance through BeWell protects you from unexpected challenges—for example:
- Urgent care: Immediate treatment for non-life-threatening injuries or infections.
- Emergency care: Treatment for conditions or injuries that need attention right away.
- Disability services: Ongoing care and resources for activities of daily living and support services.
If you no longer qualify for Medicaid or have lost your job-based coverage, our Certified Assisters can help you find a health insurance plan to cover urgent and emergency health needs. Out-of-pocket costs for urgent and emergency care vary by plan—options through BeWell offer more coverage for higher monthly premiums or less coverage for lower monthly premiums.
How Do I Enroll in Health Insurance?
Sometimes, enrolling in health insurance feels like a mess of deadlines. But there are only a few key dates that you absolutely need to pay attention to.
Open enrollment begins November 1st and ends January 15th. During this time, all New Mexicans who qualify can enroll in an insurance plan.
- Must reside in New Mexico
- Do not have health insurance through your job or a parent’s job
- Are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare
- Are not incarcerated
You may also qualify for a special enrollment period, in which you can enroll in insurance outside of the regular open enrollment period. Particular life events—such as getting married, having or adopting a child, meeting specific income requirements or losing other coverage—qualify you. Members of federally recognized Native American tribes can enroll in coverage any time of the year.
Contact a Certified Assister to get help to enroll in affordable, quality health insurance!
