FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2020
CONTACT:
Maria Guadarrama
435-764-0377
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final
numbers
for open enrollment, which show that more than
200,000 Utahns
selected a plan through healthcare.gov, an
increase of almost 6,500 Utahns
.
This puts sign-ups for the Utah 2020 open enrollment period
up 3.3% compared to
last year's numbers.
Despite continuous attacks against the ACA and the elimination of the individual mandate, Utah's Marketplace is expanding and stabilizing. This year, two health plans joined the Marketplace: Bridgespan and Cigna. There are now a total of five insurance options for Utahns to chose from, another indication of increased market stabilization. These new options give individuals a bigger network of doctors and hospitals to choose from, as well as more robust premium options.
Every year, Take Care Utah's health access assisters help Utahns enroll in ACA coverage for free. Throughout this process our team encounters powerful health care stories, and 2020's Open Enrollment period was no different. Our health access assisters share their stories
here
.
Sarah Leetham, Healthy Kids Program Director with Take Care Utah said, “Enrollment into the Marketplace can be a complicated process at times, and Take Care Utah is here to assist people the entire way. Health insurance gives families and individuals security in many ways, whether it is for unexpected emergencies, routine prescription drugs, or the vast preventative services that the ACA covers. Connecting families and individuals to the security of health coverage is why our team loves doing this work."
"We had a very successful open enrollment. At Take Care Utah we saw a major uptick in need for help and we were able to serve more individuals and families than ever." Community Relations Director for Take Care Utah, Maria Guadarrama shares. "The availability of more health plans gave people peace of mind in knowing they have plan that best fits their household needs. Now we are ready to help folks who need help with enrolling in the new Medicaid expansion."
Take Care Utah health access assisters are here to assist with enrollment in ACA Marketplace, CHIP and Medicaid for free, and remind you of the year round Special Enrollment Period qualifications for the ACA.
Media Contacts:
Maria Guadarrama
TCU Community Relations Director
435-764-0377
maria@healthpolicyproject.org
Sarah Leetham
Healthy Kids Program Director
801-673-1242
sarah@healthpolicyproject.org
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