Cover Missouri: fun and understandable videos

Understanding the health care system can be fun work.  Cover Missouri has a fun series of videos that explain some of the complicated intricacies of health care in a fun and easy to understand way.

One of those videos is Helping Consumers Understand the Importance of Preventive Care, which talks about the importance of preventive care, as well as some of the preventive care benefits offered through the Affordable Care Act.

Also see Health Literacy Missouri for clear, simple communication about health information and services.

Medicaid expansion in Missouri

From the Missouri Medicaid Coalition:

Mark your calendars! March 17th is the Rally for Justice

SAVE THE DATE   RALLY FOR JUSTICE AT THE CAPITOL THURSDAY, MARCH 17TH 10 AM-2 PM  Transportation will be provided from St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. More details/RSVP coming soon! ANOTHER HOSPITAL TO CLOSE:  The Southeast Health Center of Reynolds County is set to close on March 11th. This is the third hospital to close in Missouri in the last two years. The closure of the hospital leaves residents with a 45 minute drive in any direction to get to the next nearest hospital. It is time for the Missouri Legislature to do the right thing and expand Medicaid. Take Action Now.    Medicaid Expansion in the News: Columbia Tribune: Expand Medicaid to help domestic violence survivors St. Louis American: Time to expand Medicaid St. Louis Post Dispatch: Divorcing politics from health care Columbia Missourian: Inaction on Medicaid has heavy impact on women

ACA signups continue!

Open Enrollment in the Federal healthcare marketplace has just begun, and continues through the end of January.  Affinia Healthcare's Certified Application Counselors will be at the Locust Street Atrium of Central Library, 1301 Olive Street next Monday the 9th and two weeks later on the 23rd.

Cancer Awareness Fairs

Reminder: Affinia Healthcare, our partner in bringing Obamacare information and assistance to you, will be here in the Locust Street Atrium of Central Library on Monday, October 12 from 10 a.m. until noon.

Then, they are holding 3 Cancer Awareness Fairs this month, and the first is on Tuesday.

Shopping for healthcare

How do you find the health information you need?  What's the best insurance plan for you?  Shopping for health insurance and healthcare can be very confusing!

Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace starts November 1.  Certified Application Counselors from Affinia Healthcare (formerly Grace Hill Health Centers), will be at Central Library in the Locust Street Atrium on October 12 and 26 from 10 a.m. until noon to help people choose the plan that's right for them, and will be back on select Mondays in November to help with the actual signup.
Counselors will also be available to discuss Medicare and Gateway to Better Health.

For more information, call 314-539-0390.

One more chance!

Did you find out the hard way when you did your taxes about the penalty for not having health insurance?  If you missed the deadline to register for a 2015 health plan in the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace you still might have time to sign up.

According to a press release put out by the Missouri Foundation for Health yesterday, a Special Enrollment Period has been created for those who

• paid a penalty for being uninsured in 2014
• first learned about the penalty after February 15, 2015
• are not currently enrolled in the Missouri Marketplace

So if you've just learned that you have to pay a penalty on your 2014 taxes, avoid that fate by signing up for health insurance now!

Two more chances!

February 15 is the deadline to enroll in or change a healthcare plan for 2015 through the federal marketplace.  There are still 2 chances to get help signing up, choosing a plan, or switching to a different plan.  The next two Mondays, February 2 and 9, from 10am to 1pm, Certified Application Counselors from Grace Hill Health Centers will be at Central Library's Locust Street Atrium, 1301 Olive St., 63103.

Besides the federal plans, counselors will also be available to discuss Medicare and Gateway to Better Health.  Stop by and get your healthcare questions answered!

Open Enrollment Starts Today!

Health Insurance Enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace opens today! While those who had some qualifying event (for example, the loss of a job, death in the family, or divorce) were able to enroll before now, anyone who doesn't currently have health insurance is now able to enroll through Healthcare.gov. Open enrollment continues through February 15, 2015.

A few things to keep in mind:

• If you can afford healthcare and choose not to buy it, most people must now pay a penalty when they submit their 2014 taxes in April. Healthcare.gov has a page dedicated to fees and exemptions that explains everything in detail.
• If you already purchased health insurance through the Marketplace last year, it's likely you'll be automatically re-enrolled in your existing plan or a similar plan if you do nothing this year. However, you can always log in to Healthcare.gov and switch plans if you want to. For information on keeping or changing your plan, visit this page.
• While open enrollment continues through February 15, 2015, if you want coverage to start on January 1, 2015, you must enroll by December 15, 2014.

For more information, including links to application forms, visit our updated page on the Affordable Care Act.

Also, don't forget that Certified Application Counselors from Grace Hill Health Centers will be on hand at Central Library, 1301 Olive St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Monday through the end of open enrollment. No reservations or appointments are required; just stop by with your questions!

Health Insurance Enrollment Opportunities at Central Library

Although open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace doesn't start until November 15, the Library is offering opportunities to discuss health insurance enrollment on the first Saturday of each month at Central Library. Starting this Saturday, September 6, certified application counselors from Grace Hill Health Centers will be at Central Library, 1301 Olive St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

These application counselors can answer questions about the health insurance marketplace, as well as offer information about Gateway to Better Health, a program that temporarily helps uninsured adults in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County access affordable healthcare options.

The application counselors can also help you enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace, if you qualify for a special enrollment period outside of open enrollment. Qualifying circumstances include losing a job that supplied health insurance, divorce, or death of a family member. To find out if you qualify, take this quick survey at Healthcare.gov.

In the coming months, keep an eye on our Affordable Care Act page, as we update it to reflect the 2014/2015 open enrollment period! If you have questions, please call 314.539.0390.

Health Insurance Deadline is March 31! Are You Enrolled?

UPDATE: While the deadline is still March 31, there is a little wiggle room. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that those who have already started the enrollment process before March 31 can finish after the deadline.

"Just like Election Day, if you are in line when the polls close, you get to vote. We won’t close the door on those who tried to get covered and were unable to do so through no fault of their own. So, those who were in line or had technical problems with the website can quickly come back and sign up as soon as possible," writes Julie Bataille, Director of Communications at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a blog post dated March 26.

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Just a few days remain to sign up for health insurance at Healthcare.gov! Open enrollment for insurance this year ends on March 31.

Healthcare.gov has some excellent information for those who still need to enroll. For a quick refresher of what exactly the Health Insurance Marketplace provides, as well as who it's for, check out this guide. Another great source of information is this page, which gives you an idea of what to expect as you enroll. For answers to other questions, check out the FAQ page.

St. Louis Public Library still has a few opportunities left for you to get help signing up. Appointments are not necessary.

• From 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 26 (that's tonight), Central Library will host certified application counselors from the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers. Counselors will be available just inside the Locust Street entrance on the north side of the building.
• Certified application counselors from the People's Community Action Corporation will be at the Barr Branch from 3-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27.
• The certified application counselors from Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers will be back at Central one last time from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 29, again just inside the Locust Street entrance.

Time is Running Out to Enroll Through the Health Insurance Marketplace!

If you don't have health insurance already, you have until March 31 to enroll through the Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov.

Through our community partnerships, St. Louis Public Library is offering several opportunities before then to get enrolled at various branches. Throughout March, representatives from the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers will be available at Central Library each Wednesday night from 6-8 p.m., and the People's Community Action Corporation will be at Barr Branch every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-6:30 p.m. For a full list of events, visit our Upcoming Events page.

Remember, you don't have to worry about enrolling for health insurance if you already have insurance through work or another means, or if you are already covered by Medicare or Medicaid. But if you aren't enrolled in some sort of health insurance by the end of March, there is a penalty. According to Healthcare.gov's FAQ page, the 2014 penalty is 1% of your income, or $95 per person ($47.50 for minors) per household, whichever is higher. The penalty increases each year. For more information on the penalties, go here.

Check out our page on the Affordable Care Act for more general information.

There's Still Time to Enroll in Health Insurance at Healthcare.gov

Open enrollment is still ongoing at the Health Insurance Marketplace! Open enrollment continues through March 31, and if you still need to sign up, there are still plenty of opportunities to get some help at various St. Louis Public Library locations. See our Upcoming Events page for details.

If you’re still a bit confused about whether you even need to enroll, check out this one-page guide to the Marketplace from Healthcare.gov. A couple of key facts to keep in mind:

• If you enroll by the 15^th of a month, your insurance will go into effect on the first of the following month. For example, to have your insurance start on March 1, you need to be enrolled by February 15. If you wait until the very last second and enroll on March 31, your insurance won’t go into effect until May 1 (since you missed the March 15 deadline for April).
• You have to have health insurance in 2014 or you will have to pay a fee. The fee is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, or 1% of your income, whichever is higher.
• If you have insurance through your job, you don’t have to apply for health insurance through the Marketplace, but you can certainly shop around to see if you can get a better plan that way. 
•  You can get help on the phone. The Health Insurance Marketplace hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-318-2596.

So what if you’ve already enrolled and have health insurance through the Marketplace? First of all, congratulations! Second of all, check out this handy guide to using your Marketplace coverage.

Don’t forget to check out our events page for information on enrollment opportunities with Certified Application Counselors! The calendar is constantly being updated, so make sure you check back often.

First ACA Deadline is Looming

While Americans technically have until the end of March to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, if you want that insurance to kick in on January 1, 2014, you have to enroll by December 23. Fortunately, several of the notorious problems with Healthcare.gov have been fixed, and its now possible to "window shop" for insurance plans. As we mentioned last month, if you have had technical trouble in the past, keep trying!

If you're having problems, the St. Louis Public Library has plenty of events scheduled over the next few months to help you get enrolled. Check our Upcoming Events page for a full list. Each branch of the St. Louis Public Library also has a binder full of information about the Health Insurance Marketplace, including required documents for enrolling, tips for avoiding fraud, and even copies of the application forms. These materials are available for you to view and copy. A list of branches and locations is available here.

Going back to the events page for a moment, while you're there, take note of all of the health-related events we have coming up over the next few months. The page has just been updated with more free medical screenings, programs for senior citizens, and, of course, that long list of ACA enrollment opportunities. Keep checking back as we add more!

Healthcare.gov Glitches are Being Fixed, So Keep Trying to Enroll!

UPDATE: Because of the technical problems with Healthcare.gov, the enrollment deadline for getting health insurance coverage that starts January 1 has be extended to December 23. Previously, the deadline to enroll for January 1 coverage was December 15. For plans that begin later in 2014, the deadline remains the same--March 31.

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Since it was launched at the beginning of October, Healthcare.gov has been troubled. People across the country have been frustrated with error messages, and few of the 7 million people that the Obama administration expect to sign up have been able to enroll in new health insurance because of glitches on the website. 

However, work is being done to fix the site. According to a statement from the director of communications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, two-thirds of the most problematic glitches have been fixed, and web programmers are working to fix the remainder quickly. And according to an article in the St. Louis Business Journal earlier this week, 90 percent of the people who previously had trouble creating accounts on Healthcare.gov have since been able to do so.

The moral of this story: be persistent. If you’re frustrated with the enrollment process, keep trying. And if you’re at your wit’s end, remember that the St. Louis Public Library is offering lots of opportunities to work with certified application counselors, who can help you navigate Healthcare.gov and the insurance enrollment process. Visit our Upcoming Events page on this blog for a list of times, and remember to check back often as we add more events!

The Costs of Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, the total cost of treating cancer reached an estimated $124.6 billion nationally in 2010. Thanks to new treatment innovations and an aging population, that number is only expected to rise in the coming years. Individually, the cost of cancer can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and includes everything from direct costs for treatment to everyday living expenses (such as groceries and utilities) which are often harder to pay for if a cancer patient or caregiver must leave a job during treatment.

On Wednesday, November 13, St. Louisans will have a chance to learn about these costs and receive advice on how to deal with the costs of cancer care at “Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Cancer.” Held at the David C. Pratt Cancer Center conference room at Mercy Hospital, 607 S. New Ballas Road, 63141, this event will feature speakers Ann Plunkett, attorney and president of Workplace Partners; Claudia Abbott, insurance specialist; and Ryan Barker, vice president of health policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health. Plunkett, Abbott, and Barker will discuss everything from medical billing and insurance to employment rights and community resources, as well as how the Affordable Care Act and health exchanges affect cancer care. For more information and registration for this event, call 238-2000 or 251-6400, or visit www.cancersupportstl.org.

If you can’t make it to the event, check out these resources online:

• A printable booklet on managing cancer costs, published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology
• Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition, a national group of organizations that help cancer patients manage the financial challenges that accompany their diagnoses and treatments
• CancerCare, an organization dedicated to helping cancer patients pay for their treatment 

Need Help Enrolling in Obamacare? We've got a lot of events coming up!

Planning on enrolling in health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, but unsure of how to do it? Certified application counselors from the Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers will be at Central Library on multiple dates this winter to help you enroll online. Starting November 6 and continuing through January, counselors will be available on hand from 6-8 p.m. most Wednesday nights, and from 2-4 p.m. select Saturdays. Check our upcoming events to get the exact dates. 

Additionally, counselors will be at the Baden, Buder, Julia Davis, and Schlafly branches on various dates through November and December. A list of those enrollment events, as well as a handful at Connect Care locations in St. Louis, is available here.

Those who wish to enroll need to come prepared with the following information:

• Social Security Numbers (or documents numbers for legal immigrants)
• Employer and income information for everyone in your household who needs coverage. (Examples of this are pay stubs or W-2 forms.)
• Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans that cover you and the members of your household
• A completed Employer Coverage Tool, which is available on the second page of this document. This needs to be filled out for any coverage you’re eligible for, even if you aren’t enrolled in it.

As you prepare to enroll, remember that certified application counselors are the only outside parties that are legally allowed to help you enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace. For information on how to protect yourself from fraud during the enrollment process, check out this tipsheet. For more information on the Affordable Care Act, visit our dedicated page on this blog.