Smart Talk: Year 2 of insurance marketplace; PSEA says education important to voters
What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, November 6, 2014:
The roll-out of the health insurance exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act last year was not without its problems.
In fact, the first few weeks were disastrous with website glitches and other issues, including confusion.
Improvements were made and eventually 7.3 million people signed up for health insurance.
In many cases, so-called navigators helped Americans obtain insurance.
The open enrollment period for the second year of the health insurance marketplaces opens a week from Saturday — November 15 — and runs until February 15 of next year. Navigators will once again have a role to play.
On Thursday’s Smart Talk, two organizations that help navigate the Marketplace will appear to explain what’s new and different if anything and to answer questions about obtaining insurance.
Joining us are Lynn Keltz, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association and Sue Walther, Executive Director, Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania. If you have questions about navigating the health insurance marketplace call 1-855-274-5626 (toll free) to make an appointments or speak with a navigator.
Listeners may also wish to consult the Getting Covered Guide on Transforming Health, which isa multimedia project of WITF that focuses on health care changes in America. The Getting Covered Guide contains the latest information on the Affordable Care Act and Healthy Pennsylvania.
Click on the image to access the Getting Covered Guide
Also, exit polls during Tuesday’s election showed many voters who supported Democrat Tom Wolf over incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett cited education and funding for schools as their main concerns.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association — the state’s largest teacher’s union — has expressed satisfaction that education was so important to voters. PSEA President Mike Crossey appears on Smart Talk to discuss the election.
