January 15 is Final Day of Open Enrollment for Health Insurance Marketplace
If you are considering a new health insurance option for 2023, 1/15 is the deadline to enroll in individual (private) health coverage during the open enrollment period. In addition to a variety of plan options and carriers, nearly everyone is eligible for subsidized premiums through Advance Premium Tax Credits funded by the Affordable Care Act. In fact, a new rule for 2023 allows coverage for a spouse or dependents to be subsidized even if an employee is eligible for a group health insurance plan.
If you are not in a good position with either coverage or premiums right now, you may want to consider this option. Importantly, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Contact CBFNC if you would like assistance with plan selection and subsidy eligibility at finance@cbfnc.org. In the meantime, if you would like to read more about options and cost prior to enrolling or speaking with someone, visit HealthCare.gov.
Alert: Online Threats & Ransom Attacks
Finally, an unpleasant topic for this new year . . . the threat of targeted, personal online attacks or ransom attempts. These attacks come in various forms, typically with a threat to post embarrassing or compromising pictures (typically photoshopped) if a significant sum of money is not paid. Unfortunately, this problem is happening more frequently than ever, especially for individuals whose contact information and pictures are readily available on public websites or social media accounts.
We encourage church staff, especially pastors, to be aware of the risk of these problems and keep these best practices in mind:
- Do not respond to the attacker via any communication method
- Share with someone who can advise & assist (IT admin, legal counsel, etc.)
- Save communications from the attacker in case helpful to any inquiry
- Report the incident to the cyber-crime unit of local law enforcement
The content for this resource is provided by Jason Cogdill, CBFNC Legal Resource partner. Jason is an attorney and minister in Winston-Salem. As part of his practice and work with CBFNC, Jason works with churches and ministers across the state, providing counsel, education and training on various matters.