MONROE - Demand for local assistance with health insurance enrollment surged right before the Affordable Care Act's March 31 deadline, just as the last-minute rush crashed HealthCare.gov. Monroe Clinic offered the assistance for free, as did Cognosante, a Virginia-based company that received federal funding to outreach to younger people and sent an assistor from Madison to work out of the Green County Health Department.
"The last-minute response was pretty overwhelming," said Jo Lynn Goff, a public health nurse at the health department.
Monroe Clinic's certified application counselors (CACs) met with over 1,000 people regarding the Affordable Care Act, said Director of the Revenue Cycle Lisa Harrington. She noted they don't know how many of those people successfully enrolled in health insurance, as CACs are not allowed for privacy reasons to keep records of their meetings.
The clinic also held 11 public forums in November and December with a total attendance of 50 people.
Cognosante's assistor came to Green County on Thursdays for several weeks leading up to the deadline. With two-hour time slots, she was able to meet with four people each Thursday, and according to Goff, none of those slots remained empty.
With the increase in demand, Cognosante sent an extra assistor for the last Thursday before the deadline, allowing them to help eight people on March 27.
When the clinic's CACs were fully booked, people looking for assistance were referred to the health department to see if there were openings there. If both were fully booked, they encouraged people to access a computer in order to begin the application process on HealthCare.gov, even if they couldn't finish on their own, Goff said.
She said they didn't want to leave anyone "in the lurch" and already knew there would be an extension to the deadline for those who had begun the application process. She recommended they contact Monroe Clinic after March 31 but before April 15, the extension deadline, when the CACs would likely be less swamped.
Cognosante offered to stay into April, but the health department consulted Monroe Clinic and determined the clinic would be able to meet any residual demand.
Based on the response, Harrington said, "We know that we made a difference in people's lives, and we know that we helped people have access to and enroll in health care coverage."
"I'm very happy to say we did not have to turn anyone away," she said.
Missed the
deadline?
Goff suggests that people still without insurance should try "really hard" to sign up in November when open enrollment begins again. It will be open from November 15 of this year to February 15, 2015.
For those who are hesitant to go through that process because they're worried they won't be able to afford insurance, Goff said to think of it as going shopping. The marketplace will give options and say how much they'll cost, but no one is committed to anything until they pay their first premium.
"So just going online, meeting with an assistor, talking to someone - does not commit you to have to buy it," Goff said. "I think a lot of people get hung up and afraid to even just go on and look."
And some people might be surprised at what they find on the marketplace. Even if they're above the poverty line, they might qualify for tax credits that significantly lower the cost of their premiums, Goff said. She noted some people are paying as low as $20 per month.
Goff suspects some people will still be reluctant to go to the doctor even if they buy insurance, thinking they can't afford to pay the deductible, but she emphasized that policies under the Affordable Care Act are required to provide basic screenings every year that don't go toward the deductible.
"The emphasis on these new plans is prevention," she said.
Monroe Clinic is still offering free assistance, and Harrington said those who missed the deadline can make an appointment with one of their seven CACs or learn more about their options by calling 608-324-2870.
BadgerCare has no enrollment deadline, so people who think they might qualify can go to access.wisconsin.gov to apply at any time.
Harrington said if someone doesn't qualify for BadgerCare, Monroe Clinic's Community Care program may be able to help them until the marketplace opens again in November.
Special circumstances
Major life events can qualify a person for a special enrollment period to apply for marketplace insurance, outside of open enrollment. Examples include marriage, divorce, having a baby, loss of a job and more.
Tax penalty
If an individual didn't sign up for insurance before the deadline and doesn't qualify for BadgerCare, "they're going to incur the penalty," Goff said. "But best try to get signed up the next open season, because then it'll close up and it won't be open again for another year, and it will be a much steeper tax penalty."
The tax penalty for a single person will be $95 or higher next year. It will increase to $325 or higher for the following year, and will continue rising for each year after that.
"The last-minute response was pretty overwhelming," said Jo Lynn Goff, a public health nurse at the health department.
Monroe Clinic's certified application counselors (CACs) met with over 1,000 people regarding the Affordable Care Act, said Director of the Revenue Cycle Lisa Harrington. She noted they don't know how many of those people successfully enrolled in health insurance, as CACs are not allowed for privacy reasons to keep records of their meetings.
The clinic also held 11 public forums in November and December with a total attendance of 50 people.
Cognosante's assistor came to Green County on Thursdays for several weeks leading up to the deadline. With two-hour time slots, she was able to meet with four people each Thursday, and according to Goff, none of those slots remained empty.
With the increase in demand, Cognosante sent an extra assistor for the last Thursday before the deadline, allowing them to help eight people on March 27.
When the clinic's CACs were fully booked, people looking for assistance were referred to the health department to see if there were openings there. If both were fully booked, they encouraged people to access a computer in order to begin the application process on HealthCare.gov, even if they couldn't finish on their own, Goff said.
She said they didn't want to leave anyone "in the lurch" and already knew there would be an extension to the deadline for those who had begun the application process. She recommended they contact Monroe Clinic after March 31 but before April 15, the extension deadline, when the CACs would likely be less swamped.
Cognosante offered to stay into April, but the health department consulted Monroe Clinic and determined the clinic would be able to meet any residual demand.
Based on the response, Harrington said, "We know that we made a difference in people's lives, and we know that we helped people have access to and enroll in health care coverage."
"I'm very happy to say we did not have to turn anyone away," she said.
Missed the
deadline?
Goff suggests that people still without insurance should try "really hard" to sign up in November when open enrollment begins again. It will be open from November 15 of this year to February 15, 2015.
For those who are hesitant to go through that process because they're worried they won't be able to afford insurance, Goff said to think of it as going shopping. The marketplace will give options and say how much they'll cost, but no one is committed to anything until they pay their first premium.
"So just going online, meeting with an assistor, talking to someone - does not commit you to have to buy it," Goff said. "I think a lot of people get hung up and afraid to even just go on and look."
And some people might be surprised at what they find on the marketplace. Even if they're above the poverty line, they might qualify for tax credits that significantly lower the cost of their premiums, Goff said. She noted some people are paying as low as $20 per month.
Goff suspects some people will still be reluctant to go to the doctor even if they buy insurance, thinking they can't afford to pay the deductible, but she emphasized that policies under the Affordable Care Act are required to provide basic screenings every year that don't go toward the deductible.
"The emphasis on these new plans is prevention," she said.
Monroe Clinic is still offering free assistance, and Harrington said those who missed the deadline can make an appointment with one of their seven CACs or learn more about their options by calling 608-324-2870.
BadgerCare has no enrollment deadline, so people who think they might qualify can go to access.wisconsin.gov to apply at any time.
Harrington said if someone doesn't qualify for BadgerCare, Monroe Clinic's Community Care program may be able to help them until the marketplace opens again in November.
Special circumstances
Major life events can qualify a person for a special enrollment period to apply for marketplace insurance, outside of open enrollment. Examples include marriage, divorce, having a baby, loss of a job and more.
Tax penalty
If an individual didn't sign up for insurance before the deadline and doesn't qualify for BadgerCare, "they're going to incur the penalty," Goff said. "But best try to get signed up the next open season, because then it'll close up and it won't be open again for another year, and it will be a much steeper tax penalty."
The tax penalty for a single person will be $95 or higher next year. It will increase to $325 or higher for the following year, and will continue rising for each year after that.