Smart Talk: Open enrollment for health insurance deadline Sunday

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, January 27, 2016:

There could be a crush of Americans signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act as the open enrollment deadline approaches this Sunday, January 31.  At least that’s the hope of the Obama Administration.  The law was designed to reduce the number of uninsured and it has in the first three years the healthcare exchanges have been available.  Another component though was that more people were needed to enroll in order to keep costs down.  Critics point out that healthcare cost still have gone up.

Young people, who are uninsured, are being encouraged to sign up for insurance.  Many were weighing whether to purchase a plan or pay a fine if they go without insurance.  The fines increase this year to $695 for an adult and $347 per child up to $2,500 or 2.5% of family income, whichever is greater. 

We’re also marking a year since Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf expanded Medicaid for low income individuals and agreed to accept money from the federal government to do so.

Appearing on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to answer questions about health insurance and Medicaid are Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller and Lynn Keltz, a health insurance navigator.

Need help from Insurance Marketplace Navigators? Call 1-855-274-5626 (toll free) to make an appointment or speak with a Navigator. 

This program is part of WITF’s Transforming Health project covering health news and in depth analysis of today’s evolving Health Care landscape. Visit us at TransformingHealth.org.  Transforming Health is an educational partnership of WITF, Penn State Hershey Medical Center and WellSpan Health.

To learn more about health insurance in Pennsylvania, explore the online Transforming Health tool Getting Covered.  It’s an easy-to-use guide for understanding year three of Pennsylvania’s new healthcare system, how to access health insurance, and how to make the most of your plan to ensure positive health outcomes for you and your family.