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More than 13,000 in the Youngstown area
YOUNGSTOWN
More than 188,000 Ohioans have enrolled in private plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace, including more than 13,000 in the Youngstown area.
Those figures are since January 2014, when people could begin accessing health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Additionally, more than 462,000 Ohioans have enrolled for expanded Medicaid, including some 12,000 in Mahoning County and 11,000 in Trumbull County.
Medicaid is the joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.
The number of uninsured is down to a little more than 500,000 compared with 1.2 million in 2013 in Ohio. Nationally, the uninsured rate in 2013 was 18 percent compared with 11.4 percent this year, representing a decrease of about 16 million people, said Trey Daly, Get Covered America Ohio state director.
But, said Daly, who headed a “State of Enrollment Summit” on Thursday at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County’s East Branch on Early Road, thousands more uninsured or underinsured Ohioans could benefit but are unaware of their options under the ACA.
The act refers to two separate pieces of legislation enacted in 2010 – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Together, they expand Medicaid coverage to millions of low-income Americans and make numerous improvements to both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Daly said.
Among issues Daley discussed was local enrollment efforts in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell, which upheld tax credits for those purchasing private plans through both state and federal marketplaces, such as in Ohio.
About 225,000 Ohio residents are receiving tax credits, but another 500,000 are eligible if they would enroll.
That’s why the conference also focused on how organizations and individuals can get involved in local outreach and enrollment efforts.
The session also announced plans for a new digital tool that will help consumers compare the myriad coverage options and find the plan that is right for their budget and their medical needs.
When people apply under the ACA, they are confronted with a lot of choices, sometimes up to 100 plans, with varying deductibles and premiums.
They need to find out if their doctors and hospitals are on the plan at which they are looking and if prescription drugs are covered, Daly said. It sometimes takes several hours to complete the enrollment form, he added.
The new user-friendly digital tool can help consumers use it themselves, or they can get help from a navigator – a certified application counselor or CAC, Daly said.
He said the ACA is not perfect, and some changes would be helpful to consumers.
For example, under special-enrollment criteria it is only possible for special enrollment when a child comes to a family. It would be helpful if pregnancy would be a qualifying event so prenatal care would be covered, Daly said.
“Our sense is that the Affordable Care Act has been a great success. If the purpose of the law is to reduce the number of uninsured, it’s a great success,” he said.