This past Saturday, people had the opportunity to receive help enrolling in the Affordable Care Act health insurance at the United Way of Dane County building.
The “Super Saturday” event, organized by United Way and Covering Kids and Families, was designed to help people who do not have insurance through their employer or family, Ald. Lauren Cnare, District 3, said. The enrollment process is typically completed via phone call or online, however, there are many people in the community who have no familiarity with insurance, which creates a complexity factor, she said.
Dane County offers 85 different insurance plans for people to choose from, an overwhelming number to those unfamiliar with the enrollment process, Cnare said. Cnare is also a licensed navigator with Covering Kids and Families, a Madison organization focused on maximizing healthcare enrollment. “Navigators” are federally funded entities or individuals who assist people in determining eligibility for health insurance.
Licensed navigators, insurance agents, brokers and HealthConnect representatives provided assistance to people reviewing and enrolling in a health insurance plan.
“We know not everybody has a computer or Internet access at their fingertips, so this is an opportunity for people who have a lot of questions about how insurance works,” Cnare said. “This is a chance for people to sit down with trained staff at computers, with free assistance, and walk through the process of signing up for an insurance plan, or simply getting answers to questions so they have a better understanding of how to make good decisions for themselves.”
By national and local estimates 51,000 people are uninsured in Dane County, including homeless citizens, Cnare said. Many people who are homeless have little to no income and can be connected to BadgerCare Plus, which was also provided as an insurance plan at the enrollment event. The majority of people are eligible if they are a United States citizen or provide legal documentation.
The mandate to become insured has pushed more people to enroll in insurance plans, as they may be subject to fine if they remain uninsured, she said.
People who did not have insurance last year are showing up now due to the potential fine of $95 or 1 percent of their total income, whichever is higher, Cnare said. The accessible enrollment process helps Madison residents avoid that fine.
This program provides an opportunity for college students to get care as well. Part of the Affordable Care Act states that children remain on their parent’s health insurance until age 26; however, there can be potential complications.
If a student’s parents do not have health insurance, they may not have a way to access it either, Hilary Neste, East-Central Regional Network coordinator, said.
There are also events statewide, Neste said. Some provide health plans while others have education components that teach consumers about health insurance and how it works once they become insured. Each event is different based on the community partners that participate.
“We’re encouraging everyone who is uninsured to get enrolled,” Neste said. “On Feb. 15 there is going to be a penalty if you don’t have health insurance and we want to avoid that as much as possible.”
Enrollment assistance will continue in Dane County until the Feb. 15 deadline.
