RALEIGH – ​January 31, 2016, is the final deadline for North Carolinians to enroll in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace during the third Affordable Care Act open-enrollment period. With just six days 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.

The North Carolina Navigator Consortium and Enroll America are urging 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 in an event of medical emergencies they would be covered.

“The Affordable Care Act insurance continues to help many North Carolinians,” said Jennifer Simmons, North Carolina Navigator Consortium Director. “We have talked to consumers who have undergone life-saving surgeries using their coverage. The marketplace plans are affordable and meet consumers’ budgets. We enc​ourage uninsured North Carolinians to check out their options before the January 31 deadline so they can get covered.”

“So far, more than 569,000 North Carolinians have signed up for coverage during this open enrollment period – but there are still many who stand to benefit and need to take action before January 31,” said Get Covered America North Carolina State Director Sorien Schmidt. “Last year, we saw an unprecedented surge of interest leading up to the final deadline, and we expect to see the same this year as we approach the end of the month. That’s why we are encouraging people to start the process now to make sure there’s plenty of time from them to find the best plan for their family.”

To help North Carolinians learn about their options, there is free, in-person enrollment help available in communities across the state. Consumers can sit down face-to-face with unbiased local experts who can answer questions and help them make the best coverage decision for them and their families. They can also help people change plans if they are already insured through the Affordable Care Act and want to explore the new options available to them this year.

North Carolinians can find someone near them by calling 1-855-733-3711 or using the Get Covered Connector tool at getcoveredamerica.org/connector​.

During this open enrollment period, there are new plans and new prices available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, so 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 North Carolinians who have signed up so far are receiving financial help.

Those who don’t have health insurance in 2016 may face a fine of $695 or 2.5% of their income – whichever is greater. And that’s on top of having to pay out of pocket for routine medical care and unexpected emergencies. North Carolinians shouldn’t delay and risk paying the fine and high medical bills when they can have quality, affordable health insurance that will cover the essentials and protect them from the unexpected.

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The NC Navigator Consortium​ is a group of 14 health care, social service, and legal aid organizations that helps North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans through 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. Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Cape Fear HealthNet, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access,HealthNet Gaston, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC,Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

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.

Media Contact

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity number CA-NAV-15-001 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.

Shortened enrollment period runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15

RALEIGH, September 15, 2017 –  North Carolina’s Affordable Care Act navigators are gearing up for the start of the ACA’s fifth – and shortest – enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15.

The NC Navigator Consortium, the state’s largest and only statewide navigator group, will receive $2,444,703 in federal funding – the same amount as it received in 2016 – to provide outreach, education, and enrollment assistance during the upcoming enrollment period.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded the grant yesterday to Legal Aid of North Carolina, the leader of the Consortium.

This year’s 45-day enrollment period is the shortest in the history of the ACA: The last three enrollment periods lasted three months, and the first lasted six months.

“Given this shortened enrollment period and all the confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act, it’s more important than ever for North Carolinians to have a trusted, accessible, expert source they can turn to for reliable information,” Mark Van Arnam, outreach director of the NC Navigator Consortium, said.

“It’s important for consumers to know about the shorter timeframe, and to start the enrollment process early,” he said. “Comparing plans, applying for financial help and completing enrollment can be a multi-step process. Don’t wait! If you have questions, connect with a navigator as soon as possible.”

“Otherwise, not much has changed,” said Van Arnam. “Financial assistance is still available to help consumers pay their premiums. When the cost of premiums goes up, so does the amount of financial assistance available. All plans still cover essential health benefits –  from hospital visits to long-term wellness care. Most importantly, navigators are ready to provide free, local, in-person, confidential assistance to North Carolinians shopping for affordable coverage.”

Navigators are certified experts who are trained to help consumers enroll in coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace, www.healthcare.gov, which offers affordable, comprehensive insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act.

Consumers can call the Consortium’s toll-free statewide helpline at 1-855-733-3711 to ask questions or schedule an appointment with a navigator. Consumers can schedule appointments online using the Get Covered Connector at www.getcoveredamerica.org.

Consumers currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan will be automatically re-enrolled unless they choose a new plan. The NC Navigator Consortium urges consumers to seek in-person assistance before automatically re-enrolling. Prices and options change each year, and a navigator can help consumers feel confident they are in the best plan for their family and are receiving the right financial help.

Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC, Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

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Media Contact

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

About

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.

RALEIGH, September 6, 2016 – The NC Navigator Consortium, a group of 13 health care, legal aid and social service organizations, has been awarded a $2,444,703 federal grant to help North Carolina consumers enroll in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. The grant will fund the consortium’s outreach and enrollment activities through September 2017.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced the 2016-2017 navigator grants today. The full list of grantees is available on the Centers’ website.

Legal Aid of North Carolina, a nonprofit civil legal aid organization, is the leader of the consortium and will administer the grant.

The funding will support a corps of about 200 navigators, who are trained to help consumers understand the details of plans available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, determine which plan will best meet their needs, apply for financial assistance, and complete the enrollment process.

Navigators meet with consumers in free, in-person, one-on-one, confidential sessions at convenient locations throughout the state. Strict security and privacy standards are in place to ensure that consumers’ personally identifiable information is protected.

The 2016-2017 open-enrollment period is the fourth since the Health Insurance Marketplace launched in 2013. The period runs from Nov. 1, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2017. Plans must be selected by Dec. 15, 2016, for coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2017. Navigators are available to answer consumers’ questions throughout the year. Consumers can call North Carolina’s toll-free navigator hotline at 1-855-733-3711 or visit gcaconnector.org to schedule an in-person appointment with a navigator.

This year, in addition to providing general enrollment assistance, the Consortium will focus on conducting outreach to hard-to-reach populations, helping consumers re-enroll in coverage, and providing post-enrollment assistance by helping consumers understand, use and troubleshoot their new coverage.

Consumers currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan will be automatically re-enrolled unless they choose a new plan. The NC Navigator Consortium urges consumers to seek in-person assistance before automatically re-enrolling. Prices and options change each year, and a navigator can help consumers feel confident they are in the best plan for their family and are receiving the right financial help.

Consumers without health insurance at the end of the open-enrollment period may be subject to a fine on their 2016 tax return. The fine will be at least $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of the consumer’s income, whichever is greater. Some consumers may be eligible to have the fine waived. Navigators can help consumers apply for waivers.

The latest enrollment numbers from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that, as of March 31, there were 545,354 North Carolinians enrolled in health insurance plans purchased on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Only California, Florida and Texas have more residents enrolled. Of the roughly half-million enrolled North Carolinians, 499,178 of them – 91.5 percent – are receiving financial assistance. Only five other states have higher rates of enrollees receiving financial assistance.

Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC, Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro​.

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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.

Media Contacts

• Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132
• Jennifer Simmons, Navigator Project Director, 919-863-1443

RALEIGH, September 2, 2015 – The NC Navigator Consortium, a group of 14 health care, social service and legal aid organizations, has been awarded $2,610,472 in federal funding to help North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act during the 2015-2016 open-enrollment period, the second-largest grant in the country for this period.

The grant was announced today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The announcement is available on the Centers’ website, www.cms.gov.

Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to low-income North Carolinians, is the leader of the consortium and will administer the grant.

The grant will fund a corps of about 250 navigators, who are trained to help consumers understand the details of plans available on the Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov, determine which plan will best meet the needs of their family, apply for financial assistance, and complete the enrollment process.

Of the more than 492,000 North Carolinians who enrolled in a health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act, 93 percent receive​d financial assistance. The average cost of insurance for North Carolinians receiving financial assistance is $95 a month.

Navigators meet with consumers in free, in-person, one-on-one, confidential sessions at convenient locations throughout the state. Strict security and privacy standards are in place to ensure that consumers’ personally identifiable information is protected.

The consortium will focus its efforts during this open-enrollment period, the third since the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace launched in 2013, on outreach to Hispanics; persons with limited English proficiency, including recent immigrants and refugees; populations underserved in the health insurance marketplace, especially rural communities; individuals with disabilities; young adults and those leaving post-secondary educational institutions; and LGBT populations.

The 2015-2016 open-enrollment period runs from Nov. 1, 2015, to Jan. 31, 2016. Plans must be selected by Dec. 15, 2015, for coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2016. Navigators are available to answer consumers’ questions throughout the year. Consumers who have questions about health insurance should call the toll-free navigator helpline at 1-855-733-3711 or visit GetCoveredAmerica.org/Connector to schedule an in-person appointment with a navigator.

Consumers currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan will be automatically re-enrolled unless they choose a new plan. The NC Navigator Consortium urges consumers to seek in-person assistance before automatically re-enrolling. Prices and options change each year, and a navigator can help consumers feel confident they are in the best plan for their family and are receiving the right financial help.

Consumers without health insurance at the end of the open-enrollment period may be subject to a fine on their 2015 tax return. This year, the fine is increasing from $325 per person to $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of the consumer’s income, whichever is greater. Some consumers may be eligible to have the fine waived. Navigators can help consumers apply for waivers.

Thanks in part to the efforts of the consortium, North Carolina has the third-highest number of enrollments out of the nearly 40 states that use HealthCare.gov. Only Florida and Texas, states with more than double the population of North Carolina, have more enrollments.

Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Cape Fear HealthNet, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC, Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

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The NC Navigator Consortium is a group of 14 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.

Media Contacts: Legal Aid of North Carolina

• Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132
• Jennifer Simmons, Navigator Project Director, 919-863-1443

Media Contacts: Consortium Members

• Access East: Frank Rabey, 252-847-0069, Greenville
• Capital Care Collaborative: Tara Robinson, 919-792-3622, , Raleigh
• Cape Fear HealthNet: Debra Robinson, 910-399-2751 x304, Wilmington
• Care Ring: Simone McDowell, 704-248-3728, Charlotte
• Council on Aging of Buncombe County: John Wingerter, 828-277-8288, Asheville
• HealthNet Gaston: Donna Elliott, 704-619-3667, Gastonia
• Legal Services of Southern Piedmont: Madison Hardee, 704-971-2607, Charlotte
• MDC: Scott Edmonds, 919-381-5843, Durham
• Pisgah Legal Services: Shannon Cornelius, 828-210-3439, Asheville