Health insurance rights & protections

Grandfathered health insurance plans

If you have a
grandfathered plan
, you may not get some rights and protections that other plans offer under the Affordable Care Act. Your insurer must notify you if you have a grandfathered plan.
Notice: FYI
Not sure if your plan is grandfathered? Check your plan's materials, or check with your employer or your health plan's benefits administrator.

Types of grandfathered plans

You may have a grandfathered plan through your job, or you may have bought one directly from an insurance company or agent or broker.
  • Job-based grandfathered plans: Can enroll people after March 23, 2010, and still maintain their grandfathered status if the plans:
    • Haven't been changed to substantially cut benefits or increase costs for plan holders
    • Notify plan holders they have a grandfathered plan
    • Have continuously covered at least one person since March 23, 2010
  • Individual grandfathered plans: Can't newly enroll people after March 23, 2010 and have that new enrollment considered a grandfathered policy. But insurance companies can continue to offer the grandfathered plans to people who were enrolled before that date.
    • If an insurance company decides to stop offering a grandfathered plan, it must provide notice 90 days before the plan ends and offer other coverage options.
    • Learn more about plan cancellation.

Rights & protections grandfathered plans do and don't cover

Grandfathered plans don't have to offer some rights and protections Marketplace plans do.
What rights and protections grandfathered and Marketplace plans must offer
Rights & protectionsGrandfathered plansMarketplace plans
End lifetime limits
Yes
Yes
End arbitrary cancellations
Yes
Yes
Cover adult children up to age 26
Yes
Yes
Provide a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
Yes
Yes
Spend the majority of your premiums on health care, not administrative costs and bonuses
Yes
Yes
Offer free preventive care
No
Yes
Guarantee your right to appeal a coverage decision
No
Yes
Protect your choice of doctors and access to emergency care
No
Yes
Be held accountable through Rate Review for excessive premium increases
No
Yes
End yearly limits on coverage
No
Yes
A pre-existing health condition
No
Yes
Note: Some grandfathered plans offer protections they're not required to. Check with your insurance company or benefits administrator to learn about your benefits.

Switching to a Marketplace plan

You may want to switch to a Marketplace plan that covers pre-existing conditions and offers the other rights and protections.
  • During the yearly Open Enrollment Period: Coverage can start January 1. Be sure to contact your insurance company first to learn about how and when to cancel your current plan.
  • With a
    Special Enrollment Period
    : You can buy outside Open Enrollment when your grandfathered plan year ends or is canceled by your insurer. You have from 60 days before until 60 days after your plan ends to enroll.

More answers: Grandfathered health plans

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