The time for procrastination is over. Federal officials will be closing the enrollment for health insurance on Saturday.
Emily Beauregard is Executive Director of Kentucky Voices for Health. She said there is an indication the federal website is pushing people to consider some short-term plans that may not be a good choice.
“They are actually directing people in some subtle ways to short-term plans which are really nothing more than junk coverage,” she said.
Beauregard says those plans can be appealing because they have lower monthly premium payments. But, she says, they also may not cover things such as hospital visits or an unexpected illness.
When the Affordable Care Act first rolled out, Kentucky offered enrollment through a state-based website. There was also a significant amount of marketing promoting the idea that there were people in communities across the commonwealth to help folks fill out their forms. They were called Kynectors, prounouced connectors.
Beauregard said the marketing effort has diminished significantly. But, she says, the help in filling out forms is still available.
“We still have those application assistors on the ground, they are no longer Kynectors but they are still around. They are still communities providing one-on-one in-person assistance.”
To enroll, go to HealthCare.gov. To learn more about assistors, HealthBenefitExchange.Ky.Gov
