Translating health coverage at St. Mary’s

Jan. 10--DECATUR -- The Affordable Care Act has forced the previously uninsured to find coverage, but in order to use the Insurance Marketplace at Healthcare.gov, there are two languages users need to speak.

"Internet and insurance-ese," said Kim Luz, HSHS Central Illinois divisional director of community outreach.

For those who struggle with either of those languages, HSHS is offering help with signup.

"For those people, this is a lifeline," Luz said. "Signing up for insurance isn't easy, and not everyone is internet-savvy. There are people signing up who have never had insurance. Even for people who have had insurance their whole life, it can be like a foreign language."

Open enrollment for Affordable Care is between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31. There were sign-up days at St. Mary's Hospital in November and December, and another on Monday. There will be two more opportunities -- Jan. 28 and 29 -- though anyone needing help can call Meagan Novak, St. Mary's patient advocate, at (217) 464-2187 to set up an appointment.

"We have certified application counselors through Cardon Outreach who can assist someone one-on-one with enrolling through the exchange," Luz said. "And we have financial counselors through Cardon Outreach on site full time."

On Monday, people trickled in during the nine hours the counselors were available. Luz said the number of attendees has gradually increased since the first event in 2015. Luz said anyone who comes in won't be rushed out.

"We have people who will sit with you for 30 minutes, 90 minutes ... I think our longest has been three hours," Luz said. "They're going to answer all your questions and get you all the information you need. They can't offer guidance on which plan to choose, but they go through each one of the plans and tell you what your coverage will entail."

One woman who showed up to enroll and chose not to talk to a reporter, found out she was already covered by Medicaid. Luz said it's common at the sign-up events for people to come in and not realize they're under Medicaid.

"But just figuring out what you're eligible for is a good first step," he said. "They don't have a deadline and have to enroll with a completely different process."

Luz said people also come in who are stunned by the price rises this year.

"We've seen an increase in premiums this year -- some up to 42 percent," Luz said. "It's making a lot of people sit up, take notice and wonder if they can afford it. But the counselors we have will work with you to see if you qualify for any of the assistance available to help with the monthly premiums."

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