Health Care Voices: Encouraging Americans to Get Covered Ahead of ACA Open Enrollment Period

DENVER, Colorado, Oct. 26 (TNSgov) -- Health Care Voices issued the following news release on Oct. 25, 2022:

Beginning on November 1 and ending on January 15, 2023 Americans will have the opportunity to enroll in affordable health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. To ensure coverage starts on January 1, 2023, Americans must enroll by Thursday, December 15, 2022. From December 15th through January 15, 2023, Americans can still enroll to get covered from February 1, 2023 through the end of 2023.

For Americans who do not have access to health care through their job, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or another source, this open enrollment period represents a crucial time that will determine their health coverage for the following twelve months.

As the November 1 start date approaches, Health Care Voices Founder and Affordable Care Act Advocate Laura Packard offers five key points for the open enrollment period:

* A record 14.5 million people have already enrolled in health insurance coverage for 2023, a rise that analysts attribute to President Joe Biden and Congress passing the American Rescue Plan and the new Inflation Reduction Act, resulting in more middle and working class families than ever before being able to afford life-saving care.

* The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the greatest health insurance losses in American history. The open enrollment period for healthcare.gov begins on November 1, but you must enroll by January 15 for coverage. Sign up now before the enrollment period ends!

* Free help is available to figure out the best options for your family and your situation. If you have questions about signing up, or want to talk through your options with a trained professional, free help is just a click away. Call 1-800-318-2596, visit localhelp.healthcare.gov, or make a one-on-one appointment to ensure that you enroll in ACA-compliant coverage.

* Millions of Americans who previously had job-based health insurance or who never had insurance, may not realize that they are eligible for coverage with financial help. Nearly half of all uninsured adults have neither looked for information about Marketplace coverage nor tried to obtain Medicaid/CHIP coverage yet.

* Don't just auto-enroll - shop again for the best deals. Go to healthcare.gov to find out what the best plan is for your family in 2023. If you have already been auto-enrolled for 2023, you have until January 15 to change plans for February and the rest of the year.

"During the 2022 open enrollment period, the American Rescue Plan resulted in people covered by the ACA saving an average of $47 to $128 per month. The Inflation Reduction Act extended these premium subsidies in the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces. As a result, health insurance premiums will remain capped at 8.5% of a patient's income through 2025. Legislative health care wins under the Biden administration has caused the number of uninsured Americans to drop to an all-time low."

"As a stage-4 cancer survivor, the Affordable Care Act saved my life. It could save yours, too. Without my health insurance, I could have never afforded the treatment that I needed to be in remission today. Now is the time to get covered by the ACA, and ensure that your health care fits your needs in 2023."

Laura Packard is a small business owner and health care advocate, and founder of Health Care Voices, organizing adults with serious medical conditions. She is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and the Affordable Care Act saved her life. If you're interested in connecting with Laura to discuss health insurance, open enrollment, the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, or the state of America's health care system more generally, please reach out to [email protected].

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Original text here: https://healthcarevoices.org/encouraging-americans-to-get-covered-ahead-of-aca-open-enrollment-period/