NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans Health Department and its partners announced that the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace) began yesterday, on Sunday, November 1, 2015.
Residents and small businesses are encouraged to visit the Marketplace at healthcare.gov to directly compare and purchase private health insurance options, often for lower costs.
Marketplace open enrollment will continue through Jan. 31, 2016, but Dec. 15, 2015, is the last day to enroll for coverage beginning on Jan. 1 of next year.
To date, more than 20,000 New Orleans residents have enrolled in health insurance through the Marketplace, with 84 percent of enrollees receiving financial assistance to lower the cost of insurance.
Health Department Director Charlotte Parent said, “Thousands of New Orleanians have enrolled in the Marketplace over the past several years but many more remain uninsured. The Marketplace is an easy and affordable way to get covered. I encourage all of our residents who need health insurance to visit the Marketplace and contact the Health Department to get help with enrolling.”
The Health Department along with healthcare partners such as 504HealthNet, the regional consortium of community health centers, is actively involved in Marketplace outreach and enrollment with staff members across the city specially trained in enrollment assistance.
For direct enrollment assistance, individuals can:
• Visit any of the area’s community health centers—visit 504HealthNet.org to find a health center
• Call 1-800-318-2596, 24/7
• Get help enrolling by contacting the Health Department via NOLA 311 or by visiting the Health Department’s website at www.nola.gov/marketplace
“Health insurance is an important part of getting you the care that you and your family needs, when you need it,” Susan Todd, Executive Director of 504HealthNet, said. “Without it, individuals and families can face high, unexpected costs, and it can be more difficult to see a doctor. Through the health insurance marketplace, nearly eight in 10 people will qualify for financial assistance, making health insurance more affordable than ever before. Also, if you do not have coverage, you may have to pay a $695 fee when you file your taxes. If you have health insurance, you won’t have to pay this fee, and depending on your income, you could get health insurance for less than the amount of the fee through the health insurance marketplace.”
