What are these new state Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIM)?

These marketplaces, also known as "health care exchanges," are designed to help individuals and families find health insurance that meets their needs. The marketplaces offer "one-stop shopping" to find and compare private health insurance options. Individuals and families may also be eligible for a new kind of tax credit that lowers monthly premiums. However, if you are eligible for the CITGO health plan, you might not be eligible for a tax credit through a health insurance marketplace.

More information about the marketplaces, including information on how to find the marketplaces that serves the state where you live, is available at www.healthcare.gov.

  Do I need to go to one of these state marketplaces if I am going to enroll in the CITGO health plan?

No, you are not required to contact a health insurance marketplace if you are enrolling in the CITGO health plan. You may still wish to go to a health insurance marketplace if you want to investigate the health coverage it is offering or to get certified for some of the exemptions from the requirement to have coverage.

  Would I be better off getting health insurance from one of the new state health insurance marketplaces rather than enrolling in the CITGO health plan?

Each individual will have to make his/her own decision about the health insurance option that makes the most sense. You were previously provided a required federal notice that includes some general information about the health insurance marketplaces and some considerations that may affect you if you are eligible for coverage from CITGO. As stated in that notice, if you purchase a health plan through a health insurance marketplace instead of accepting health coverage offered by CITGO, you will lose the employer contribution that CITGO makes to the cost of coverage. This employer contribution, as well as the amount you contribute to the cost of your health coverage, is generally excluded from income for federal and state income tax purposes. Your payments for coverage through a health insurance marketplace are made on an after-tax basis.

  I want to apply for insurance coverage & financial assistance with premiums from one of the HIM. The application asks for info about my employer and the health coverage that it offers. How do I get the info I need about CITGO to complete the application?

The information is available on the second page of the Notice of New Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Options that was provided to you. If you no longer have a copy of this Notice, you may obtain one on the CITGO Benefits Connections website at www.hr.citgo.com.