Your Affordable Care Act Options in 2014

December 23, 2013, marked the extended deadline to enroll in the Affordable Care Act and have health insurance coverage begin on January 1, 2014. However, if you haven’t enrolled yet, don’t worry because there is still time to get covered before the final deadline.
Currently, open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace runs until March 31, 2013, and coverage for those who apply begins approximately 30 days after signing up.
The process for enrollment stays the same, with three options for signing up. The first would be to go to www.healthcare.gov to complete an online application. Since the beginning of December, many of the earlier glitches have been resolved and most will find little trouble completing the entire application themselves.
Option two for signing up on your own would be to call 1-800-318-2596 to speak with an operator who can help enroll you in the marketplace by phone.
The third way to sign up would be to meet with a Certified Application Counselor or Enrollment Navigator to help walk you through the process one on one. They can talk with you about your eligibility, help you complete paper or online applications and answer any questions you have about the marketplace.
CompleteCare Health Network’s specially trained team of Certified Application Counselors works in Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties enrolling people into the marketplace or helping them sign up for Medicaid.
“We travel to CompleteCare sites in the area as well as local businesses, community organizations, churches, schools and any place we think there will be people without insurance,” said John Fuqua, Certified Application Counselor. “Our goal is to reach as many people as we can and get them signed up, so we encourage people to contact us for help.”
New Jersey residents who sign up for the Affordable Care Act may also find out that they are eligible for New Jersey’s Medicaid program, NJ FamilyCare. Through the expanded Medicaid program approved by Governor Chris Christie, NJ FamilyCare is now available to children, pregnant women, parents/caretaker relatives, single adults and childless couples. Medicaid eligibility is based on family size, and income level and charts outlining gross income guidelines can be found by visiting www.njfamilycare.org/income.aspx.
NJ FamilyCare is a great option for those with limited incomes as it provides them with free or low cost health insurance that covers a wide range of services, including doctor visits, hospitalization, x-rays, lab tests, mental health services, dental and eyeglasses, prescriptions, preventative testing and regular check-ups. Additionally, CompleteCare Health Network accepts Medicaid at all of its locations, giving NJ FamilyCare patients access to superior healthcare for visits with primary care physicians, dentists, mental health providers, OB/GYNs and more.
To learn more about your health insurance options contact CompleteCare at 609-465-0258 or visit www.CompleteCareNJ.org/ACA.