Only one week left before the Jan. 31 final deadline to enroll in coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace
RALEIGH, JAN. 24, 2017 – Tuesday, Jan. 31, is the final deadline for North Carolinians to enroll in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace during the open-enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act. With just a week left, the clock is ticking and North Carolinians should act now to make sure they have time to shop around, consider their options, and enroll in the plan that best fits their needs and budget.
Following the election, many consumers have questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act, and their ability to enroll in quality, affordable health insurance. As of now, nothing has changed about the fourth enrollment period – not plans, not prices, and not dates. Anyone who enrolls in coverage by Jan. 31 will be able to use their coverage beginning March 1.
The North Carolina Navigator Consortium and Enroll America encourage North Carolinians to check out Affordable Care plans, which cover what they need and meet their budgets so they can have peace of mind knowing that they would be covered in the event of a medical emergency.
“Nothing has changed – North Carolinians can still enroll in Affordable Care Act plans and get financial help, but they need to act before the January 31 deadline,” said Jennifer Simmons, North Carolina Navigator Consortium Director. “The marketplace plans are affordable and meet consumers’ budgets. Over 540,000 North Carolinians have enrolled in this open-enrollment period as of January 14, but there is still time for more to get covered.”
“We have talked to some North Carolinians who have expressed concerns and asked questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act and their ability to enroll in quality, affordable health coverage through the Marketplace after the elections,” said Enroll America North Carolina State Director Sorien Schmidt. “As of now, nothing about the Affordable Care Act marketplace has changed. People can still enroll in plans.”
Everybody’s needs and financial situations are different, and plans and prices change every year, so all North Carolinians should shop the options available to them. All Marketplace health plans are required to cover the basics – from preventive care, emergency services, prescriptions, and more. And quality protection comes at an affordable price for most North Carolinians, thanks to the financial assistance available to lower the cost of plans. In fact, nearly 9 in 10 of the over 530,000 people in North Carolina who signed up by December 24 are receiving financial help.
In order to help North Carolinians explore their options, there are a variety of resources available so that consumers can be confident that they are choosing the best plan for them. Free, local in-person help is available across North Carolina through certified assisters who can sit down one-on-one and answer questions about coverage and benefits. Scheduling an appointment is easy: simply use the Get Covered Connector tool and choose a convenient time and location or call 1-855-733-3711. Enroll America also offers a free, easy-to-use digital tool called the Get Covered Plan Explorer, which helps consumers navigate the plans available to them and estimate their total health care costs for the year so they can pick the plan that best fits their needs and budget.
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The NC Navigator Consortium is a group of 13 health care, social service, and legal aid organizations that helps North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. The consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to low-income North Carolinians.
Enroll America is the nation’s leading health care enrollment coalition. An independent nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Enroll America works with more than 6,700 partners in all 50 states to create cutting-edge tools, analyze data, inform policy, and share best practices in service of its mission: maximizing the number of Americans who enroll in and retain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Learn more at EnrollAmerica.org.
Media Contact
Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of N.C., 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org