In the wake of an announcement last week by a major player in Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace that the company will cease offering individual coverage in the coming days, Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) is taking steps to ensure more area residents can access all currently available plans and the most affordable options.
The Lewiston-based company Community Health Options (CHO) has announced that it will suspend offering new individual health insurance coverage for the 2016 plan year. Dec. 15 will be the last day to purchase an individual plan from CHO for coverage effective Jan. 1, and Dec. 26 will be the last day to purchase an individual CHO plan for coverage starting Feb. 1.
In order to help people meet this deadline, ACAP navigators are accommodating additional appointment times through Dec. 23.
“A large number of Aroostook County residents who have health insurance through the online Marketplace are currently enrolled in Community Health Options,” explained Dawn Roberts, ACAP Community Education Specialist and an Affordable Care Act (ACA) navigator.
“If current CHO members do not actively re-enroll, they will be automatically re-enrolled for CHO coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2016. However, people who are not currently enrolled as a CHO member but wish to do so, must enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage effective Jan. 1 and by Dec. 26 for coverage effective Feb. 1, 2016.”
ACAP anticipates that consumers may have questions about Community Health Options and other health insurance coverage options on the Marketplace.
“Many consumers feel comfortable going directly to the online Marketplace to review plans and enroll for health insurance,” said Roberts, “Others, however, prefer to discuss their options by phone or in person with a navigator. We want to be available to help them.”
ACAP is part of the Community Action Navigator Consortium and is a partner in a statewide network of certified Health Insurance Marketplace navigators. Navigators can provide free in-person assistance to help people apply for and enroll in coverage, and can help consumers access programs that could lower their monthly premiums and out-of pocket costs and understand the options available to them.
ACAP is not affiliated with any insurance company. Consumers’ private information is protected and ACAP will never share it, Roberts emphasized.
To seek assistance from an ACAP navigator by phone or in person, contact Roberts at (207) 554-4151.The online Marketplace is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.healthcare.gov.
