DES MOINES, IA — The deadline to enroll in Marketplace health insurance coverage for 2023 is January 15th.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a record amount of grant funding to organizations that provide free help to consumers needing help enrolling in health coverage. In Iowa, First Choice Services was awarded $295,350 to continue and expand its IA Navigator program. The program provides free assistance to people finding and selecting healthcare options through the Marketplace, Medicaid, and CHIP.
So far, during the 10th Marketplace Open Enrollment, Iowa is seeing an increase in enrollment this year, with 6.56% more people enrolling than last year. Jeremy Smith, IA Navigator Director, says that the increased funding has helped the program expand and get the word out about the Marketplace. “The historic increase in funding for our program last year, and then again this year, has helped our program increase our enrollments from last year,” Smith says. “Our Navigators have been working hard to help get the word out to people about the benefits of the Marketplace, and we are excited to see how the rest of Open Enrollment goes!”
Even with the increase in enrollment numbers this year, many Iowans lack health insurance. IA Navigator is encouraging anyone who does not have health insurance to check into the Marketplace. “Most people will qualify for substantially lower costs this year if they get their insurance on the Marketplace,” said Jeremy Smith. “We are urging people to look at the new plans and prices released this year. In many cases, the plans are more affordable than we have ever seen. Even if you have looked into insurance on the Marketplace in past years and were not very happy, you should look into it again this year.” Smith says getting help signing up is essential, as many people are overwhelmed by the options or may not realize how to shop for affordable health coverage.
Consumers returning to the Health Insurance Marketplace this year can expect to see some critical updates and expansions. New rules will expand eligibility to those previously blocked from getting the coverage because they had an offer of insurance through an employer. This fix to the “Family Glitch” will expand eligibility to thousands of families. Additionally, the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act secured enhanced subsidies and locked in lower prices for Marketplace plans for three more years. It also ensured that higher-income earners could continue to enroll in subsidized coverage.
It is important that Iowans pay attention to Open Enrollment deadlines. The last day to enroll in 2023 is January 15th unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. To help as many people meet this deadline as possible, IA Navigator will be available by phone all week and on Saturday, January 14th, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. IA Navigator will also be available by phone on Sunday, January 15th, from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Free assistance from the IA Navigator program is available by calling 515-978-9570 or visiting www.ACANavigator.com.
