Taking on a new healthcare plan can be a daunting task — just ask the federal government — but Thrive Allen County is doing its best to make the transition as easy as possible. PROFESSIONAL ADVICE can be essential to someone looking for a healthcare policy, Robertson said, especially with all of the options available through the ACA.
John Robertson and Georgia Masterson, both authorized as Navigators for the Affordable Care Act, are making themselves available for people in Allen County. Free of charge every Wednesday at 5 p.m., Allen Countians can have their questions answered and receive expert advice on which plan is best for them. Robertson also said they are available by appointment during the day as well.
“Perhaps the most complicated thing is helping people pick out a policy,” Robertson said.
While the website is now up and running after its technical difficulties, he said they do both phone, paper and online applications. There is no shortage of options either.
“There are around 30 different policies for people in Allen County,” he said.
There are bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans, that cover 60, 70, 80 and 90 percent of claim costs, respectively.
In addition, the government is offering subsidies for those in need.
For people with living within 400 percent above the federal poverty level, subsidies are offered for the premium cost of the policy. Robertson said for people earning 0 to 100 percent of the poverty level, however, Kansas does not offer subsidies due to the lack of Medicaid expansion.
“It’s just a tragedy, it’s very unfair,” he said.
For those living under less than 250 percent of the poverty level, there are subsidies offered on the deductible itself across the board.
“We’ve gone all the way through the process,” Robertson said. People have already been receiving the “substantial” subsidies, which result in a dramatic decrease in cost to the applicant.
“It’s a pretty complicated decision, getting some assistance could really help,” he said.
He and Masterson went through the 40-hour training process to become familiar with the system, so they can offer the best advice possible.
To expedite the process, Robertson said any information brought in by the applicant could be helpful. This may include:
— tax information from previous years;
— having an email account set up, which is necessary for the online application;
— if an applicant is lacking in tax information, pay stubs may be of assistance as well, and
— any current insurance cards, including CHIP insurance for children in the home.
For more information, contact the Thrive office at 620-365-8128.
Thrive offering healthcare assistance
