ACA Enrollment Round II: Do Consumers Have the Help they Need?

Please join the Atlanta chapter of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the nonpartisan Alliance for Health Reform for a special event Tuesday, December 2, in the evening.

The Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment period runs through mid February, and millions of people are already looking for help to find the best insurance fit. While many who signed up last year are expected to shop around for different health plans, millions more may become first time buyers.

This briefing will explore the availability and usefulness of in-person assistance programs (navigators, assisters and brokers) that are intended to help individuals search and apply for coverage. After last year’s enrollment difficulties, we will look at the challenges of this second round, with a particular focus on the help available to consumers.

· Trey Sivley, division director in Georgia’s Division of Insurance and Financial Oversight Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, will address differences in the enrollment process from the first to the second enrollment cycle.

· Lisa Stein, vice president of work and family supports at Seedco, a navigator program in Atlanta, will discuss the help available to Georgians enrolling or reenrolling for coverage, and also barriers to enrollment.

· Cathy Bowden, information management coordinator at The Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, will address the role of primary care medical providers in getting information to consumers.

· Andy Miller, editor and CEO at Georgia Health News, will provide an overview of enrollment in Georgia and also talk about what stories reporters should pay attention to moving forward.

Transcript

Full Transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF)