Affordable Care Act: What you need to know to enroll

Nov. 02--Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act got underway Wednesday, giving eligible consumers a 45-day period to shop for and purchase a health insurance plan.

"There's a lot of confusion out there, but the biggest message that we want to send to folks is that not much has really changed for the consumer," said Mark Van Arnam, director of Outreach at North Carolina Navigator Consortium.

North Carolina Navigator Consortium is an organization that helps guide consumers in need of help through the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace.

Van Arnam said that the number one change that consumers need to be aware of is that the ACA's open enrollment period has been cut in half from its original 90 days to just 45. This means consumers have until Dec. 15, half the amount of time from previous years, to sign up for health care through the HealthCare.gov website.

As for the confusion Van Arnam spoke of, decisions in Washington related to the ACA have made its status unclear to many.

"People are truly confused as to whether the ACA is still here for them. We're here to tell them that it is. ... Nothing has really changed," Van Arnam said. "Folks can still sign up, folks can still get financial assistance..."

One of the biggest areas of confusion revolves around subsidies and the financial aid that consumers can receive to help pay their health insurance premiums.

Van Arnam said that the executive order signed by President Trump in October only affects payments made from the federal government to insurance companies to offset those companies' costs.

"The insurance companies are still required by law to offer cost-saving reductions to folks that qualify and advanced premium tax credits are still available to folks that qualify as well," Van Arnam said.

According to Van Arnam, nine out of 10 North Carolinians who signed up for a plan during last year's open enrollment received some form of financial assistance. It is not expected that North Carolinians will see a rise in costs associated with their ACA health insurance.

For consumers looking for help in signing up with insurance on the market place, Van Arnam said that people can book free, in-person assistance appointments at ncnavigator.net, or book an appointment by phone on 855-733-3711.

Lisa Harrison, health director for Granville Vance Public Health, said that there are local organizations in Vance and Granville counties that that can assist those looking to sign up for coverage, such as local hospitals and Rural Health Group.

Also, N.C. Navigator recommends that consumers already signed up for health insurance through the ACA check the marketplace as well. Though most insurance plans are set to re-enroll, Van Arnam said it is wise that consumers update their information to see if newer, cheaper plans that fit their health care needs are available.

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