Agnesian Offers Health Care Sign Up Assistance

Agnesian HealthCare has certified application counselors (CACs) available to help interested individuals review their plan options for 2015 through the health insurance marketplace. CACs are trained to review options on the exchange and whether individuals qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs and essential health benefits.

CACs at each hospital are trained to help patients from all backgrounds learn what coverage they’re eligible for, work through the registration, and choose the plan that is best for them.

Open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace is underway and runs through February 15, 2015. Consumers should visit healthcare.gov to review and compare health plan options, and find out if they are eligible for financial assistance, which can help pay monthly premiums and reduce out-of-pocket costs when receiving services.

All consumers shopping for health insurance coverage for 2015 – even those who currently have coverage through the marketplace – should enroll or re-enroll between November 15 and December 15 in order to have coverage effective on January 1, 2015.

“We plan to continue building on the positive efforts we had last year in helping individuals within our communities understand their options under the health insurance marketplace so they are making the best decision for them and their families,” according to Rita Meidam, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation executive director, who oversees the CACs. “Everyone that is coming through has a need, and that is what we are here for, to help them with that need.”

The enrollment process can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, depending on options and discussion.

Individuals should have the following items ready when beginning the process (for every member of a household who needs coverage):

•              Social Security numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants)
•              Employer and income information
•              Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans
•              A completed employer coverage tool for every job-based plan you or someone in your household is eligible for (download the application from  http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/marketplace-application-checklist.pdf)
• A current e-mail address and password

“It’s helpful to have someone navigate you through the process,” Meidam explains. “We are very committed to helping our patients enroll.”

Agnesian HealthCare participates in the following marketplace plans:

•              Ambetter
•              Arise Health Plan
•              Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative – Empower
•              Dean Health Plan
•              United HealthCare
•              Unity Health Plan – Elite

CACs are available weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., just inside the St. Agnes Hospital main entrance. Services are also available at Ripon Medical Center and Waupun Memorial Hospital by appointment.

Call (920) 926-4841 (Fond du Lac) or (920) 324-6540 to schedule an appointment with one of Agnesian HealthCare’s CACs. They will guide you through the process and answer your questions.

Find out more information by visiting the government’s web site at www.healthcare.gov, or call (800) 318-2596 or TTY at (855) 889-4325.