One of the things we pride ourselves on at Enroll Wyoming is learning. We are constantly educating ourselves so we can better understand and explain developments from the complicated health coverage world.

We are consistently polishing our presentation skills as well. Whether we are rearranging table setups, updating slides, or revising elevator pitches, the Enroll Wyoming team is looking to improve our ability to communicate.

You can use our monthly streams as an example. Over the course of the last year, we've raised the production value of the videos that we've been sharing at 2 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month. Additional organization, editing, graphic design, and other stagecraft has led to better streamlined and polished videos. And there's more to come as we keep learning new tricks to bring to your screens.

This month we're introducing our newest navigator, Molly Holt, and explaining the special enrollment period for the health insurance marketplace.

Enroll Wyoming would ask that our partners and other supporters share the Facebook and YouTube links for the video. And whether you are free at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24 or replay the session later, we hope you come away with a better grasp of who we are and how we help people.

-- Caleb Michael Smith, Enroll Wyoming marketing director

The renewal process for families covered by Wyoming Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP (Child Health Insurance Program) has reached a key stage, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state insurance program that pays for the medical and long-term care of qualified low-income and medically needy individuals and families. In 2020, the federal government stopped Medicaid and Kid Care CHIP eligibility reviews in all states in exchange for temporarily increased federal funding. States are now required to return to normal renewal procedures and the increased federal funding is ending.

The department recommends beneficiaries check whether Wyoming Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP has current contact information renewal so notices are not missed. Call 855-294-2127 or visit www.wesystem.wyo.gov to make sure you have current contact information on file.

For those who have received packets, the WDH said it is critical for forms to be completed and submitted as required to avoid loss of coverage.

WDH has been reporting the state’s renewal status to the federal government since April. Through the end of July, coverage was renewed for just over 9,000 beneficiaries. During the same period, coverage was ended for just over 600 clients for reasons such as reaching adulthood and no longer eligible for coverage as a child, increased income, a health status change or a move to another state.

Wyoming numbers are also now available for a category known as “procedural terminations.” This includes those who did not return renewal forms or respond to questions from WDH about their own coverage or the coverage of a family member. Through the end of July, coverage was ended for more than 10,100 Wyoming Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP clients for procedural reasons. Read more here.

Free help is available from Enroll Wyoming to guide people through the renewal process. Whether one needs help with re-enrollment or finding new health coverage, we can identify options so people can make informed decisions. Just go to enrollwyo.org or dial 211.

We are asking partners and individuals to help spread the word by sharing informational materials through social media and newsletters. Find more informational resources like more graphics and sample text for newsletters here. 

Open enrollment season is right around the corner, which means the CoverWyo open enrollment kickoff conference is even closer! On Oct. 10-11, Enroll Wyoming and the Wyoming Primary Care Association invite interested parties to come to Casper to learn about open enrollment and how people can sign up for coverage through the health insurance marketplace.

Open enrollment is the period from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 when most people apply or reapply for coverage in the health insurance marketplace. The marketplace has plans that are designed to be comprehensive and affordable.

The CoverWyo conference is designed to help those involved in health care and health coverage better understand enrollment, community resources, insurance policies, and developments in the field.

Registration details are pending. The tentative agenda includes

updates on Wyoming Medicaid, enrollment demonstrations, and best practice presentations. Watch our registration website for more details as they become available.

Many scams rely on the kindness and naivete of strangers. Fresh warnings are coming out about an old scam that tries to get people to say "yes" to more than they expected.

The Better Business Bureau warns that the “Can You Hear Me?” scam has long been used to coerce businesses into purchasing supplies and ads they never actually ordered, but it is increasing being used to target regular consumers.

Here’s how it works: You get a call from someone who almost immediately asks, “Can you hear me?” Their goal is to get you to answer “Yes” on tape and later edit the recording to make make it sound like you authorized a purchase.

If you find yourself fielding similar calls from an unknown number, the BBB says:

• Use Caller ID to screen calls, and consider not answering unfamiliar numbers. They will leave a message if it's important, and you can call back.
• If someone calls and asks, “Can you hear me?” do NOT answer “Yes.” Just hang up. Be alert for other questions designed to solicit a simple “yes” answer.
• Make a note of the number and report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker to help warn others.
• Check bank and credit card statements regularly for unauthorized charges.

For more information, visit BBB.org.

The national alert system designed to help locate missing individuals has come to Wyoming. An Ashanti Alert is announced when an individual over 17 is thought to be endangered or abducted, or an adult with special needs or circumstances goes missing. It is similar to the Amber Alert for missing children.

It is named after Ashanti Billie, who was a 19-year-old woman who disappeared on September 18, 2017, in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Two weeks later, authorities discovered her body in Charlotte, North Carolina — 350 miles away. Her death spurred efforts to organize a state, regional, and nationwide missing persons alert system that focused on older individuals. 

If you receive an Ashanti Alert, watch for the person, suspect, and/or vehicle described in the alert. Immediately report any sightings by calling 911 or the telephone number included with the alert. Do not call 911 to request information about the abduction.

Since joining the system earlier this year, Wyoming has already seen an elderly man located after his information was shared in an Ashanti Alert.

As we look ahead to open enrollment, Enroll Wyoming wants to add to its ranks of people who provide free assistance to people who need help with health insurance.

We still have an opening for the full-time southwest region navigator, which covers Carbon, Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta counties.

Additionally, we are seeking seasonal navigators for the southwest and southeast regions.

The seasonal positions are expected to run from Oct. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31, 2024. For more information, contact Lead Navigator Dasa Robertson.

-- Enroll Wyoming will be at the Albany County Public Library on 310 South Eighth Street in Laramie on Thursdays. Call 307-214-0786 (Dasa) or 307-509-0508 (Parker) for an appointment.

-- Watch the next Enroll Wyoming livestream online at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24. We are introducing our newest navigator and explaining how people can get coverage from the health insurance marketplace if they qualify for special enrollment.

-- Enroll Wyoming will have a table at the Safe Kids Day hosted by the Goshen County Health Office at 7078 Fairgrounds Road in Torrington starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26.



-- Enroll Wyoming will be at the back-to-school event hosted by the Carbon County Head Start from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Jeffrey Center at 315 West Pine Street in Rawlins.

-- There will be an Enroll Wyoming presentation at part of the University of Wyoming ECHO Networks and Wyoming Telehealth Network meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

As a statewide nonprofit, Enroll Wyoming works with many partners in dozens of communities around the Equality State.

Click here or the graphic below to see flyers for upcoming events, details about important campaigns, community resources, and ways to make our state better and brighter.