Workshops Scheduled to Explain Obamacare Options

Written by Pam Robinson

The drive to register people and small businesses under the Affordable Care Act is getting underway, with workshops explaining how the program works, how to sign up and to determine eligibility.

Residents can assess the available health-insurance plans at www.coverage4healthcare.com, and begin signing up Oct. 1 for coverage that would begin in January. 

The Affordable Care Act requires everyone to have  a basic health insurance plan or pay a penalty, starting Jan. 1.  An estimated  50 million people iack coverage. The ACA law's goal is to expand coverage to those who lack affordable coverage.  

The  insurance plans accepted into the New York State exchange are:

• Affinity Health Plan, Inc. 
• American Progressive Life & Health Insurance Company of New York (Today’s Options of NY, Inc.) 
• Capital District Physicians Health Plan, Inc. 
• Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (EmblemHealth) 
• Empire BlueCross and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield 
• Excellus (Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Central NY and Univera in Western NY)
• Fidelis Care
• Freelancers Co-Op (Health Republic Insurance) 
• Healthfirst New York
• HealthNow New York, Inc. (Blue Shield of NENY; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western NY)
• Independent Health
• MetroPlus Health Plan (Market Plus) 
• MVP Health Plan, Inc. 
• North Shore LIJ 
• Oscar Insurance Corporation
• United Healthcare of New York, Inc. (United, Oxford)

For more information:

Visit www.healthcare.gov , the federal government's website, where you can get general information and sign up for e-mail or text updates.

Call the federal Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users can call 1-844-889-4325.

Visit www.healthbenefitexchange.ny.gov, New York State's health insurance marketplace.  Small businesses and individuals use exchanges to compare  insurance options, calculate costs and select coverage online, in person, over the phone or by mail.  Exchanges can also help determine residents'  eligibility for such health care programs as Medicaid.

For a list of local workshops where you can get one-on-one enrollment assistance, go to www.coverage4healthcare.com