Yesterday Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced new funding to help more uninsured Americans enroll in new health insurance coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. Approximately $150 million will help community health centers provide in-person enrollment assistance to uninsured individuals across the nation. About 1,200 health centers operate nearly 9,000 service delivery sites nationwide and serve approximately 21 million patients each year.
“Health centers have extensive experience providing eligibility assistance to patients, are providing care in communities across the Nation, and are well-positioned to support enrollment efforts,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Investing in health centers for outreach and enrollment assistance provides one more way the Obama administration is helping consumers understand their options and enroll in affordable coverage.”
According to the Uninsured Health Care Statistics, 16.3 % of the U.S. Population do not have any health insurance.
In the table below are presented data for different sectors of the society without health insurance:
On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond.
A new way to get health insurance has been already designed: the Health Insurance Marketplace. It has to help people find health insurance that fits their budget, with less difficulties.
Every health insurance plan in the new Marketplace will offer comprehensive coverage, from doctors to medications to hospital visits. Before you make a choice, you can compare all your insurance options based on price, benefits, quality, and other features that may be important to you and find a plan that’s right for you.
Under the health care law, there will also be new protections for you and your family. Health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a chronic or pre-existing condition, and they can’t charge more for women than for men.
Thanks to new rules and expanded programs, even working families will be able to get help through the Health Insurance Marketplace. There will be new, expanded programs available, and more people than ever before will qualify for free or low-cost health insurance programs.
Most people will be able to get a break on costs through the Marketplace, even if you think your income is too high to get help.
The only requirements to get insurance through the Marketplace are:
-
You must live in the U.S.
-
You must be a U.S. citizen or national (or lawfully present)
-
You can’t be currently incarcerated
Enrollment in the Marketplace starts in October 2013.
Coverage from the Marketplace starts in January 2014.
For more information visit: http://www.healthcare.gov and http://www.hhs.gov