GEAR
As we close in on week 3 of open enrollment, it looks as if some enrollment trends are starting to emerge. From what we’ve heard at GHF it sounds like more repeat consumers (re-enrollments) are looking to help from enrollment assisters and that consumers are coming to appointments armed with more information. Does this sound like what you have been encountering as well? Has your experience been different? Email Whitney and let us know!
Do You Know About AHRC?
The Assister Help Resource Center (AHRC) is a dedicated call center for Navigators and CACs. AHRC provides information and solutions for resolving complex application and enrollment issues. Specifically AHRC can help enrollment assisters with:
- Immigration, mixed status households, immigration status
- Medicaid and CHIP as they relate to the Healthcare.gov states
- Documents and information needed for ID proofing / verification
- Income and eligibility
- Enrollment process
- Exemptions
- Special enrollment periods (SEPs)
- Issues with 1095-A
- Reporting life changes
- Tips for avoiding or resolving data matching issues
Enrollment assisters can access the AHRC by calling 1-855-811-7299 starting Monday, November 2, 2015. The AHRC is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm EST and Saturday from 9am to 5pm EST during Open Enrollment for the individual market.
NOTE: AHRC can only be used by licensed enrollment assisters (CACs and Navigators). If you are not a licensed enrollment assister but know a consumer who needs help with a complex issue, get in touch with your nearest enrollment assister for help.
National Resource Highlight – CMS’ Assisters Roadmap to Resources
The Roadmap is a quick guide to the resources the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal partners have developed to help assisters and consumers navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace. The topics covered include:
- How to get the latest information on Marketplace policies and operations from CMS
- What coverage options are available to consumers
- What you need to know about the Marketplace enrollment and eligibility process to help consumers get coverage
- How to access Marketplace information and resources in other languages
New Marketplace Resources
Consumer Guide for Annual Household Income Data Matching Issues
CMS
Giving Thanks: Caring For the Health of our Rural Communities and Congregations
The Partnership Center
Three Steps to Stay Covered
Enroll America
ICYMI – Press conference held highlighting free enrollment and post-enrollment materials
Georgians for a Healthy Future and several other local partner organizations participated in a press conference to highlight new materials and resources that are available to consumers. Click here to learn more about the press conference and the materials highlighted. Thank you to Feminist Women’s Health Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church for hosting the conference!
Do you have any resources that you use that you would like to see highlighted in GEAR? Send them to wgriggs@healthyfuture.org and let us know!
MORE >We are almost two weeks into Open Enrollment and everything seems to be going smoothly. We’ve heard from some of our partners that OE3 started off a little slow (seems like the rain may have kept people away) but that a few days in things really started to pick up. Consumers from last year also seem to be very interested in making appointments with enrollment assisters to shop around for 2016 plans. Has this week been the same? What have been your successes and challenges of the past two weeks? Let us know!
FYI: Healthcare.gov Updates
- If you are working with a consumer and are having issues with the Cost Calculator, take them to the Get Covered Calculator. Research has shown that consumers greatly benefit when they understand all of the costs related to purchasing health insurance.
Join us for ACA Stakeholder calls!
Every other Thursday (see schedule below) during Open Enrollment, GHF and Enroll America will be hosting Stakeholder calls to go over updates from various enrollment partners, including navigator grantees and partners from around the state. Click here to register for calls.
National Resource Highlight – Raising Women’s Voices’ “My Health, My Voice: A Women’s Step-by-Step Guide to Using Health Insurance”
“My Health, My Voice” is an initiative to help newly insured women understand their health insurance and avoid unexpected costs. The resource includes sample scripts for doctor’s visits and beautiful, but simple graphics to help consumers with low literacy. The guide is available in hard copy (which you can order from their website) and as an interactive website that you can see here.
New Marketplace Resources
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Happy OE3! The third round of Open Enrollment kicked off this weekend and we want to hear from you. Did your organization host an event? Was the website working well? Did you see a lot of return consumers? Tell us about your first enrollment experience! Send us an email to tell us how OE3 started off for you.
This Just In! – Spanish Language Materials
You’ve been introduced to our enrollment toolkit and our post-enrollment workbook and now we have them in Spanish!
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Do you work for an organization that focuses on enrolling Spanish-speaking consumers? Let us know if you want to have these resources co-branded with your organization. It’s free!
National Resource Highlight – Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute – Center on Health Insurance Reform’s Navigator Resource Guide
CHIR’s updated Navigator Resource Guide has searchable frequently asked questions (FAQs) and easy-to-read background information on key health insurance and marketplace issues. The guide is divided into four sections: (1) People without coverage, (2) People with coverage, (3) Employers offering coverage, and (4) Post-enrollment problems with coverage. Learn more about the guide here.
New Marketplace Resources
Consumer Guide for Annual Household Income Data Matching Issues
CMS
The Assister’s Roadmap to Resources
CMS
Talking about Premium Increases with Consumers
Community Catalyst
Tips for Helping Consumers Renew Long Distance
In the Loop (Make sure you are a member of In the Loop to view this resource)
ICYMI – “Getting and Keeping Georgia Covered”
Did you miss the “Getting and Keeping Georgia Covered” event? On October 28th, GHF and Enroll America convened a panel of experts to talk about best practices to increase enrollment and retention throughout Georgia. You can see the resources from that day here.
Do you have any resources that you use that you would like to see highlighted in GEAR? Send them to wgriggs@healthyfuture.org and let us know!
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