Category: ACA - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

ACA enrollment surges - Of Interest to Our Forum Members

11/29/2022

ACA enrollment surges!

Health Care Reform Forum

The Biden administration is seeing a big increase in the number of new customers buying private health insurance for 2023 from the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) marketplace. Nearly 3.4 million people have signed up for coverage — an increase of 17% compared to the same time last year.

The number of uninsured Americans this year reached a historic low of 8%. The marketplace also saw large gains in the number of Black, Latino and Native Americans who sought coverage.

If you don’t have health insurance simply go to the official government website, HealthCare.gov. and find a plan that suits you. Low income families can qualify for generous subsidies. If you enroll and pay your first premium by December 15th, your coverage will start January 1, 2023. The 2023 Open Enrollment Period continues through January 15, 2023.

Frank Samuelson

Learn how lower drug prices will affect you - Watch the webinar

9/27/2022

Learn how lower drug prices will affect you!

Health Care Reform Forum

The most significant legislation aimed at lowering drug costs for people on Medicare and Medicaid has been passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Do you know how it will affect you and your family? Kaiser Health News has a webinar that explains the changes. These changes will save lives! Click the following link to learn how.

https://www.kff.org/medicare/event/august-11-web-event-understanding-health-care-provisions-inflation-reduction-act/

Deb Sperry

Health Care Reform Forum - Vote for Inflation Reduction Act 411

7/30/2022

Ask Legislators to lower drug prices with Inflation Reduction Act

Health Care Reform Forum

Here is a Letter-to-the-Editor that the Health Care Reform Forum has sent to the local press regarding drug prices and health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

OUR $100 MILLION PROBLEM

A nationwide poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that Americans owe 100 million dollars in medical debt. Twenty-five percent of families owe $5,000 or more, and 20% say they won’t be able to pay off their debt. Even families with insurance often find that accidents or emergency care may overwhelm their resources.

Medical debt causes families to cut spending for food and other essentials (63%), use up all their savings (48%), and declare bankruptcy (17%). It also often prevents them from getting health care - even urgent care.

There are many causes for this debt: “surprise” billing by out of network providers, insurance with high deductibles, excessive price hikes for prescription drugs, and just the high cost of treatment in our country with the world’s most expensive health care system. As one expert says: “We have a health care system almost perfectly designed to create debt.”

Some states have tried to address this problem by forbidding credit reporting companies from including medical debt on credit scores, because that can prevent someone from buying a car or a home even when their credit is otherwise good.

Let’s encourage states to adopt fairer credit policies, as above. We can also advocate for national policies to curb rapid inflation of medical and drug costs. Tell your senators to support the bill to help lower drug prices and extend and increase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Ask them to support the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” today.

Frank Samuelson

Update your ACA insurance status - What You Can Do Now

6/22/2022

Updating your insurance status through the government marketplace is crucial!

Health Care Reform Forum

You May Qualify for Lower Insurance Rates!

Updating your insurance status through the government marketplace is crucial.

If you have enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) through the government marketplace (healthcare.gov), you must report income changes, household changes (new baby or marriage), or changes in disability or citizenship status. Many times these all combine to lower your payments.

Read the details, and learn how to report changes on this link:
https://www.healthcare.gov/blog/remember-update-us-when-your-income-household-changes/

PACG Office Manager

ACA Signup Denial? - What You Can Do Now

6/14/2022

Reduce the chance your ACA insurance is denied!

Health Care Reform Forum

Don’t Be Surprised if Your Insurance is Denied!

Be careful when signing up for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. What you see may not always be what you get.

It is wise, when signing up for insurance through the government marketplace, (healthcare.gov) to use a navigator - someone who is trained in helping new consumers. These navigators do not receive a commission for selling a policy. This helps to ensure that they are working for the consumer and not for a company or corporation. Working with an expert can also save you a great deal of money.

We believe there are companies and organizations who are purposely misleading consumers by posing as the official government health insurance marketplace. It’s unclear as to who will protect you, so you must protect yourself. Read stories about individuals who were surprised when their “insurance” cards were denied.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/07/1103334082/they-thought-they-bought-obamacare-plans-what-they-got-wasnt-insurance

PACG Office Manager

Don't Hesitate to seek medical help! - What You Can Do Now

6/7/2022

Don’t Hesitate to Seek Medical Help!

Health Care Reform Forum

Many people are unaware of the free preventive health services covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare). If you or anyone you know purchase health insurance through the government marketplace at healthcare.gov (ACA), you may be entitled to many preventive care benefits.

We have listed two links here - one for adults and one for children.

Adults: https://www.healthcare.gov/preventive-care-adults/
The ACA covers screenings for many diseases, counseling services of all kinds, and most immunizations.There are 22 services for adults.

Children: https://www.healthcare.gov/preventive-care-children/
Preventative care for children includes 29 health services, including well-baby and well-child visits, vision screening, obesity screening and counseling, oral health assessments, and immunizations.

PACG Office Manager

Graduates need health care coverage! - What You Can Do Now

5/31/2022

Graduates need health care coverage

Health Care Reform Forum

Calling all graduates: You have health insurance options!As graduation day approaches, here are three health insurance ideas for graduates or young adults.

You may enroll in a parent’s insurance plan if you’re under 26.
You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Medicaid might be a viable option for you.

Learn why you should care about health insurance and what affordable options are available to you here:
https://www.healthcare.gov/blog/find-health-insurance-recent-graduates/

PACG Office Manager

ACA Sign Up - What You Can Do Now

1/6/2022

Sign Up for ACA Coverage for 2022
Enrollment Ends on Saturday, January 15th

Health Care Reform Forum

Consumers seeking government-subsidized health insurance for next year can sign up by Saturday, January 15th for Affordable Care Act coverage, with increased financial assistance available through President Joe Biden's coronavirus relief legislation. This coverage will take effect on February 1st.

People who are already enrolled don't have to do anything. If they're satisfied with their current plan, they will be automatically renewed for 2022.

HealthCare.gov and its state-run counterparts are insurance marketplaces that offer taxpayer-subsidized private coverage.

Go to http://healthcare.gov/ for more information.

Julie Ross

ACA Enrollment Numbers Climb - What You Can Do Now

7/21/2021

New Numbers for the ACA!

Health Care Reform Forum

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has subsidized health insurance plans for more than 2 million more people since President Biden reopened health insurance markets. This pandemic response plan enabled 1.5 million to enroll through the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace and 600,000 through state-run insurance exchanges. Since April 1st, customers have been given much more generous financial assistance. Although this benefit is temporary, the administration hopes to make it permanent through legislation later this year.

The special enrollment period is scheduled to end on August 15, 2021.

If you know anyone you think may be uninsured, encourage them to check out the options available in the ACA by logging on to Healthcare.gov. Informational flyers are available for download.

Spanish Version

English Version

Pictured here is our Forum member, Deb Sperry, posting flyers at the Eldridge Library. Contact PACG's office manager if you would like flyers to distribute.

Frank Samuelson

ACA Wins in the Supreme Court - Again!

6/29/2021

Health Care Reform Forum
A Message to Our Membership

ACA Wins!!

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act for the third time, leaving in place the broad provisions of the law enacted by Congress in 2010. The vote was 7 to 2. The decision threw out the challenge that Texas, and other objecting states, were not harmed in any way. "To have standing, a plaintiff must 'allege personal injury fairly traceable to the defendant's allegedly unlawful conduct and likely to be redressed by the requested relief,' " the majority wrote. "No plaintiff has shown such an injury 'fairly traceable' to the 'allegedly unlawful conduct' challenged here.”

The Biden administration has increased subsidies for lower income families and both ACA marketplace insurance and Medicaid coverage have reached record levels. We advocate that providing a “public option” would further strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

Julie Ross