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Outreach and Enrollment

Outreach and Enrollment Resources for Consumers
2020 Open Enrollment Period dates have been announced as November 1, 2019 through December 15, 2019

Assister Training Instructions: A Guide to Access and Complete the Assister Training for the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace: To help assisters access and complete the updated assister training now available at the Medicare Learning Network® (MLN) Health Insurance Marketplace Learning Management System,

CMS published a helpful instructions guide, Assister Training Instructions: A Guide to Access and Complete Assister Training for the Federally-facilitated Marketplace. These instructions provide guidance on how Navigator Grantees, Certified Application Counselors, and Non-Navigator Assistance Personnel in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces can register with MLN and complete all required online training courses and assessments for certification.

As a reminder, please refer to the ‘CMS Enrollment Assister Bulletin: 2016-01’ released June 28, 2016 on the CCIIO website for additional guidance regarding training, certification, and recertification for Assisters in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces.

CONSUMERS: Enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace

There are four ways to apply for health insurance through the Marketplace: online, by phone, in person, and by mail.

Mississippi’s underserved populations are less likely to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy. This lack of access to quality health care has been a major factor in the state’s health disparity. By providing greater access to preventive health services, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a major step toward greater health equity in the U.S. and in Mississippi.

While many improvements to the application process have been made, we recognize that some consumers continue to have difficulty with their applications on Healthcare.gov. A Tip Sheet has been posted on our Assisters Resource page to provide guidance on how to best assist those consumers who are experiencing continuing issues with tax credit eligibility determinations, completing their applications due to technical glitches, Medicaid or CHIP eligibility determinations, or selecting an insurance plan. Most of these consumers will be able to seek assistance from the Call Center. If the consumer has questions about accessing the benefits of their plan, they should be directed to call the insurer directly.

Click here for more information on How to Get Enrolled in the Marketplace.

CONSUMERS: Covered Preventive Services

If you have a new health insurance plan, or insurance policy beginning on or after September 23, 2010, the following preventive services will be covered — without your having to pay a copayment or co-insurance or meet your deductible. (This applies only when these services are delivered by a network provider.)

For All Adults

For Women

For Children

CONSUMERS: Health Insurance Choices

If you have health insurance already, the Affordable Care Act does not require you to change it. If you do not have insurance yet, you are free to choose health insurance from any provider that you like. However, the ACA also makes the following alternatives to private insurance available. If you are under 26, you may be eligible for health insurance coverage under your parents’ plan. If you have been rejected for insurance due to a health condition or disability, you may be eligible for coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

You or your small business may be able to buy insurance from a new type of non-profit, consumer-run health insurer, called a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP). Shop for insurance and compare health plans in the new state-based Health Insurance Marketplace.d Consumers  

The Guide to Using Your New Marketplace Coverage provides guidance to consumers on how to ensure they are covered; how to obtain prescriptions, medical and emergency care; and how to appeal an insurance company decision.

Outreach & Enrollment Resources for Health Centers
Health Centers have a critical role in outreach and enrollment, and it’s an exciting time in the field as there are a multitude of current and upcoming opportunities for Health Centers to engage in and expand outreach and enrollment services. For health centers in federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) and state partnership Marketplace (SPM) answers can be found in the Health Center Outreach & Enrollment O/E Training FAQs.

The ACA is Working for the Latino Community
In every community across the country, the Affordable Care Act is working to increase access to affordable, quality health care. This is especially true for the Latino Community. To learn more about Open Enrollment, or to check out your coverage options, visit: Healthcare.gov, cuidadodesalud.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY 1-855-889-4325).

Resource Documents

Helping Consumers who have attempted but have Not Completed Enrollment: Tips for In-person Enrollment Assisters

As we begin December with a vastly improved web experience, we are mindful of the valuable work assisters are providing to consumers to make sure those consumers who experienced frustration over the past several weeks are able to resolve their issues and complete their enrollment and confirm that those who have enrolled know their next steps to make sure they get coverage.

We encourage assisters to continue their work to increase the number of outreach and education events to reach new consumers. We also suggest that assisters pay particular attention to those consumers who still need questions answered in order to complete their enrollment. To that end, we have created a new tip sheet for Assisters that details the process step-by-step for assisters to follow to help consumers in specific situations. The specific scenarios addressed are as follows:

I. The consumer is stuck somewhere in the application
II. The consumer submitted a paper application but hasn’t heard anything
III. The consumer only wants to submit a paper application
IV. The consumer is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP

The new Assister Tips resource document can be found on the Resources for Assisters page on Marketplace.CMS.gov.

This new video is to assist health centers with educating their patient populations about coverage options under Medicaid, or purchasing a private insurance policy in the online Health Insurance Marketplace. The video is designed as a simple, informational tool to show in health center waiting rooms or any place else where it is useful to explain how the Affordable Care Act can help the uninsured.

The video was produced in multiple formats that include:

These various formats will allow health center patients to watch the videos on mute (if the health center staff chooses to mute them) while they wait to see a physician. The Spanish language version is available at this link.

New and more robust HealthCare.gov tools to help you enroll

Here are some of the new features you’ll find on HealthCare.gov:

More robust window shopping. You can now see detailed information about each Marketplace health insurance plan offered in your area before you apply. This new tool will allow you to see plan prices displayed much more accurately, based on the household information you supply.

You can compare plans, covered benefits, physician and hospital networks, and more. No login or application required. Just answer a few simple questions to see plans and prices in your area. You will still need to complete the application to find out how you can get lower costs, but this is a much enhanced version of earlier information and one more way you can get the information you need to help you get ready to enroll and find a plan that fits your needs and budget.

You can remove problem applications. If you’ve experienced problems filling out your online application, you can start over with a brand new application. To do this, you’ll first need to log in to your account; select your current application; and then choose to “Remove” the application. You will then need to close out your web page and then log back in using your same account. You can then start a brand new application.

Get help enrolling online, on the phone, or in person. You can get help where and when you need it. For example: You can start an application online and then call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1 855-889-4325) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get help enrolling over the phone. You can also find in–person help from certified assisters in your area. Just enter your zip code to get started.

You can apply offline and continue your enrollment online. If you submitted a paper application or applied over the phone, you can create a Marketplace account to pull up your eligibility determination and complete your enrollment. To do this, you’ll need your application identification number, and you can contact the call center to get it if you don’t know it.

Direct enrollment in a Marketplace plan. Many insurers are now offering the opportunity for you to enroll directly in a Marketplace plan with that company, whether through the insurance company’s website, an agent or broker, or an online health insurance seller.

These new functionality improvements are in addition to the hardware and software improvements we’ve made over the past eight weeks to improve the consumer experience, increase capacity, and ensure that you can successfully move through the entire enrollment process. We’ll continue to make improvements to HealthCare.gov in the weeks and months ahead, and we encourage you to come back and explore your new coverage options. Here are some shopping tips to get you started:

Best Practices Institute
Source: Enroll America
Contains information about enrollment and eligibility policies that support optimal health coverage enrollment and make it easy for people to enroll.

Health Outreach Partners
Source: Health Outreach Partners
Features guides to innovative outreach practices, archived webinars, and more.

Maximizing Enrollment
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Academy for State Health Policy
This project focuses on enrollment and retention of eligible children, families, and those newly eligible on public and publicly subsidized health coverage.

Statereforum
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Academy for State Health Policy
An online network focused on health reform implementation with a significant number of resources in the coverage eligiblty and enrollment topic area.

Georgetown University Center for Children and Families Outreach & Enrollment
Source: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
Website has a special outreach and enrollment section dedicated to resources and programs focused on reaching newly-eligible beneficiaries.

InsureKidsNow and the “Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge”
Source: Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Features outreach materials, ideas, and more.

CHCAMS Partners

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