What happens when…
The Rivera team has been on group insurance for eight years
What a transition looks like for people mid-treatment.
The Rivera team has been on group insurance for eight years.
Same Blue Cross plan. Maria is mid-treatment with a cardiologist. Dev just had a baby. Switching feels risky.
A three-stage transition timeline — group plan ends, open enrollment, ICHRA begins — with no stage reached yet, above Maria, Dev, and Kim, each still describing what worries them about switching.
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Group plan ends
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Open enrollment
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ICHRA begins
The transition happens at open enrollment — not mid-year.
Nobody loses coverage overnight. The employer sets a switchover date that aligns with the plan year. There’s a defined window to choose.
The first stage of the timeline, group plan ends, is now complete while open enrollment and the ICHRA start date are still ahead. Kim has started browsing silver plans; Maria and Dev have not moved yet.
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Group plan ends
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Open enrollment
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ICHRA begins
Maria finds three plans that include her cardiologist.
She filters by provider on the individual market. Her doctor is in-network on a silver plan that costs less than her old payroll deduction.
The timeline has reached open enrollment, with the ICHRA start date still ahead. Maria has found her cardiologist in three plans and Kim is browsing; only Dev is still undecided.
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Group plan ends
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Open enrollment
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ICHRA begins
The transition is a window, not a cliff.
Employees with ongoing care choose during open enrollment. Most find equivalent or better coverage — because they’re picking a plan that fits their specific providers.
All three timeline stages are complete and the ICHRA has begun. Maria, Dev, and Kim each hold the plan they chose, keeping the doctors and hospital they were worried about losing.
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Group plan ends
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Open enrollment
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ICHRA begins