As the first phases of the Affordable Care Act begin to take effect in January, independent organizations such as Enroll America are working to make sure uninsured North Carolinians are prepared for the changes.
On Thursday, Enroll America opened a new regional office in Raleigh that will act as a base of operations as the group works to enroll nearly 1.3 million uninsured North Carolinians when enrollment begins Oct. 1.
The Affordable Care Act, which requires all Americans to have health insurance on or before Jan. 1, 2014, put into place a federal marketplace system that requires those who are currently uninsured to purchase coverage.
Since the N.C. General Assembly made the decision not to promote the new polices of the Affordable Care Act, groups like Enroll America and the North Carolina Community Health Center Association are stepping in to educate citizens, said Rebecca Whitaker, director of health policy at the association.
Thirty-two community health centers across the state have received $4.1 million in federal funding — and no state funding — to help in their efforts educating North Carolinians, Whitaker said.
“The health centers will be able to hire 87 new employees to help spread the word that everyone must be enrolled in some form of health care,” she said. “The funding will help organizations to hold events at food banks and help outreach groups place people in appropriate insurance plans.”
Sorien Schmidt, Enroll America’s regional director for the state, said the new office will summarize the act for citizens because the language of the new polices is often confusing.
“Some people are nervous that health insurance policies are too complex or will be too expensive, and it makes them nervous to apply,” Schmidt said.
Whitaker said that one of her organization’s main goals in the next few months is to help people avoid purchasing from the Health Insurance Marketplace by identifying people who are eligible for federal programs. The Marketplace is a federally-sponsored insurance plan that subsidizes health care costs for those who are not eligible for Medicaid.
