BRIEF: Questions surround new health-care laws and Erie’s low-income residents [Erie Times-News, Pa.]

Sept. 28--Lisa Kelleher is finding more questions than answers when it comes to the Affordable Care Act and what it means for the low-income Erie residents she sees at St. Paul'sNeighborhood Free Clinic.

Kelleher, the agency's director, said she also doesn't know what to expect when open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace debuts Tuesday.

"We're doing business as usual," Kelleher said of the clinic, 1608 Walnut St. "Nobody knows yet how this will all unfold."

Health insurance can be a confusing road to navigate, area social-service workers readily admit.

Agencies here say the process is about to become more confounding for the uninsured, people who can't afford health insurance, and the groups who assist the Erie region's poor and low-income residents.

Specific information about policies, rates and federal subsidies in the Health Insurance Marketplace will not be available until Tuesday, officials said.

Open enrollment closes on March 31. Coverage begins on Jan. 1. Plans and cost information will be available at www.healthcare.gov.

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