THE FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE
EXCHANGE, THE INSURANCE
MARKETPLACE, STARTS TODAY AND
RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER 15.
IN TONIGHT'S LOOK AHEAD, WHAT'S
NEW FOR INSURANCE PLANS?
WHO CAN ENROLL?
AND WHERE CAN YOU GET
INFORMATION?
FOR THOSE AND OTHER ANSWERS WE
TURN TO ADAM VAN SPANKEREN, THE
COVERING WISCONSIN LEAD
NAVIGATOR.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT CAN CONSUMERS EXPECT TO
SEE IN TERMS OF PLAN OPTIONS
THIS YEAR?
>> SURE.
THERE ARE MORE PLAN OPTIONS THAN
EVER IN THE STATE AND THEY HAVE
IN GENERAL -- THE PREMIUMS HAVE
GONE DOWN BY AN AVERAGE OF 4%,
IN SOME CASES A LOT MORE THAN
THAT.
YOU HAVE MORE PLAN OPTIONS THAN
EVER.
61 COUNTIES OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT HAVE THREE PLANS AT LEAST
TO CHOOSE FROM.
>> AND WE WERE TALKING JUST A
MOMENT AGO ABOUT HOW CONSUMERS
HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT CAREFUL
THIS YEAR IN LOOKING AT THOSE
PLAN OPTIONS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED A
DIFFERENT KIND OF ARRAY.
>> SURE.
SO IT'S REAL REALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE
GO TO healthcare.gov IF
THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE
MARKETPLACE.
THE SHORT-TERM PLANS ARE
MARKETED AT THE SAME TIME AND
THEY TEND TO LOOK APPEALING
BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAPER.
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME
COVERAGE.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY COVER
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS.
THEY OFTEN HAVE A LOT OF LIMITS.
SO THEY DON'T ADHERE TO THE SAME
ACA RULES.
>> AND THOSE PLANS WILL DESCRIBE
THAT'S THE CASE?
>> IN THE FINE PRINT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE
KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND IF
THEY NEED ASSISTANCE, THEY CAN
COME TO AN EXPERT LIKE A
NAVIGATOR, WHO WILL HELP THEM
CHOOSE BETWEEN DIFFERENT
OPTIONS.
>> THEY CAN DO THAT BY PHONE, IN
PERSON OR ONLINE?
>> YES.
SO THEY CAN DEFINITELY ENROLL BY
THEMSELVES AT healthcare.gov
OR BY CALLING, BUT WORK WITH A
PERSON.
WE LIKE TO DO IT FACE-TO-FACE
BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST OUTCOME
FOR THE CONSUMER.
IT'S THE MOST EDUCATIONAL.
YOU GET THE BEST RESULT THAT
WAY.
BUT WE CAN DO IT OVER THE PHONE
AND PLAN TO DO THAT FOR THE MORE
RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE.
>> WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL?
>> ANYONE WHO IS UNINSURED RIGHT
NOW, HONESTLY.
BASICALLY, ANYBODY WHO NEEDS
INSURANCE AND IS OVER THE LIMIT
FOR BADGERCARE.
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE LIMIT MIGHT
BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT AND WE
WOULD CHECK FOR THAT AS WELL.
>> WHO GETS SUBSIDIES AND HOW
MUCH DO THEY OFFSET THE
PREMIUMS?
>> SURE.
THE SUBSIDIES GO UP TO 400% OF
THE POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH IS KIND
OF A USELESS NUMBER, SO IF
YOU'RE THINKING, YOU KNOW, ONE
PERSON I THINK LIKE $50,000 OR A
LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT WOULD
BE 400% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL.
YOU GET HELP TO PAY YOUR PREMIUM
UP TO THAT LEVEL.
THE LOWER YOU ARE, THE MORE HELP
YOU GET.
IN SOME CASES WHEN YOU'RE
STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND
YOU'RE NOT MAKING A LOT OF
MONEY, THOSE PREMIUMS CAN GO
DOWN DRAMATICALLY, EVEN LIKE 15
CENTS.
>> ACCORDING TO STATE OFFICIALS,
ABOUT 400,000 PEOPLE IN
WISCONSIN WERE UNINSURED AT SOME
POINT IN 2018.
WHY HAS ENROLLMENT IN THE ACA
PLAN SLIPPED?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS,
ONE OF WHICH IS THE ENROLLMENT
PERIOD SHORTENED IN THAT TIME.
IT USED TO BE THREE MONTHS AND
NOW IT'S SIX WEEKS.
AND OUTREACH AND MARKETING HAS
STOPPED.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
STOPPED MARKETING THE INSURANCE
MARKETPLACE.
SO IT'S BEEN A BURDEN ON A LOT
OF PARTNERS AND NONPROFIT
GROUPS, OUR GROUP COVERING
WISCONSIN TO SPREAD THE WORD.
>> WHERE SHOULD PEOPLE GO IF
THEY WANT TO GET INFORMATION?
>> CALL 211 BECAUSE THAT IS A
RESOURCE THAT ANYONE CAN DO.
JUST DIAL 211 AND GET REFERRED
TO AN ASSISTER IN YOUR AREA,
MAYBE A NAVIGATOR, OR CALL
COVERING WISCONSIN, GO TO OUR
WEBSITE WHERE ALL OUR SCHEDULES
ARE.
WE HAVE WALK-IN EVENTS IN THIS
AREA EVERY SATURDAY AND
THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
>> WOW.
AND ALSO healthcare.gov
>> ALWAYS