Insuring the uninsured; open enrollment to begin
By Mary Meaux, The Port Arthur News, Texas |
Locals can receive free assistance with the enrollment process from
"We're here to help people through the process. We can't and won't pick a plan for them, we just tell them about it,"
The open enrollment period is from
Major changes such as a marriage, birth, death or change in income can affect coverage.
"When people initially sign up we tell them it is their responsibility to call the Marketplace and report changes in their household," he said. "That way they can reconfigure subsidy."
Dahlquist and others will be on hand Saturday to walk the customer through the process. He gave an example of a misinformed decision made by some clients.
"We have had people enroll on their own, who went to the website and filled out the application, picked an insurance plan and paid for it," he said. "But when they went to use the insurance they couldn't so they called us. They had chosen an inexpensive plan that had a
Luckily, it was still early enough in the enrollment period where changes could be made, he added.
Dahlquist said he usually suggests the client speak to a spouse or significant other and discuss three issues; how much will this cost, what kind of chronic disease do they have or what medications do they take and do they earn enough to pay for it? An insurance plan where a person cannot afford doctor's visits isn't the best choice.
Dr.
""More face to face communication is the key in helping people navigate the health care exchange," Thigpen said in a press release. "And, working with our partners and health care stakeholders, we know we can identify and communicate with more residents about health insurance. We want to take 'scary' and 'overwhelming; out of the equation with good information on how to access, select and process health insurance policies through the
The upcoming free event is hosted by
Dahlquist said interested persons need to bring a photo ID, social security cards for al household members and proof of income for the household. If any member already has insurance such as
"It's a little lengthy but a simple process," he said. "We will sit down with people, look at co-pays, discuss what happens if you go to the hospital, walk them through it. A lot of people have never had insurance and do not know how to use it."
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews
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Source: | McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Wordcount: | 650 |
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