Health Insurance: Dec. 15 Open Enrollment Deadline, Vaccine Coverage
Unwinding MaineCare:
December 15, 2023, is the last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1, 2024. If you or your clients still need to register or change your plan, now is the time. Please visit Home | CoverME.gov for further information and assistance. On February 1, 2024, coverage starts for those who enroll in or change plans from December 16 through January 15 and pay their first premium.
COVID-19 Information:
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease that can be very contagious and spreads quickly. Over one million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system. Other parts of your body may also be affected by the disease. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill. Some people, including those with minor or no signs, will develop Post-COVID Conditions – also called “Long COVID.”
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and tiny particles that contain the virus. Other people can breathe in these droplets and particles, or these droplets and particles can land on their eyes, nose, or mouth. In some circumstances, these droplets may contaminate surfaces they touch. Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it, even if they do NOT have symptoms.
It has also been found that the virus can spread from people to animals during close contact. People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals.
Vaccine recommendations:
Everyone aged five years and older should get 1 updated COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after getting the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Moderate or severely immunocompromised people may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccines. Talk to your healthcare provider about other revised amounts.
Children aged six months–4 years should get two or three doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, depending on which vaccine they receive. Talk to their healthcare provider to determine what is suitable for your child.
COVID-19 and Pregnancy:
Studies, including hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, show that COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy is safe, effective, and beneficial to both the pregnant and the baby. The benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy.
COVID-19 vaccines do not cause COVID-19, including in people who are pregnant or their babies. None of the COVID-19 vaccines contain live virus. They cannot make anyone sick with COVID-19, including people who are pregnant or their babies. Learn more about how vaccines work at http://www.cdc.gov.
Receiving COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy can help protect babies younger than age six months from hospitalization due to COVID-19. In these reports, the majority of babies hospitalized with COVID-19 were born to pregnant people who were not vaccinated during pregnancy.
Talk to your healthcare provider about what is best for you.