Charleston, WV – A record-breaking more than 16.3 million people signed up for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan nationwide during the ACA’s 10th Open Enrollment. West Virginia saw an increase of almost 23% – the sixth highest increase in the nation for states that use heathcare.gov.
Prior to the start of this year’s Open Enrollment, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a record amount of grant funding to organizations that provide free help to consumers needing help enrolling in health coverage. In West Virginia, First Choice Services was awarded $1,050,000 to continue and expand their WV Navigator program. The program provides free assistance to people finding and selecting healthcare options through the Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP.
Jeremy Smith, the WV Navigator Director, says that the increase in funding has really helped the program expand and get the word out about the Marketplace. “The historic increase in funding for our program last year, and then again this year, has helped our program increase our enrollments by over 30% from last year,” Smith says. “Our Navigators have been working hard to help get the word out to people about the benefits of the Marketplace and we are excited to see how the rest of the year goes!”
Even though Open Enrollment has ended, some people will qualify for Special Enrollment Periods to enroll throughout the year. WV Navigator is encouraging anyone who loses their health coverage anytime during the year to contact them to find out what their options are. “Most people will be able to qualify for substantially lower costs if they get their insurance on the Marketplace,” said Jeremy Smith. “We are really urging people to look at the new plans and prices that are being released this year. In a lot of cases, the plans are more affordable than we have ever seen. Even if you have looked into insurance on the Marketplace in past years and were not very happy, you should definitely look into it again this year.” Smith says getting help signing up is important, as many people are overwhelmed by the options or may not realize how to shop for affordable health coverage.
For free assistance the WV Navigator program is available by calling 304-356-5834 or visiting www.ACANavigator.com.
Marketplace 2022 Open Enrollment Period Report: Final National Snapshot | CMS
Marketplace 2023 Open Enrollment Period Report: Final National Snapshot | CMS
