Certain Floridians who submitted an application within the last two weeks of December 2017, but were not determined eligible for Special Enrollment (SEP) at that time, will be eligible for this new SEP. Details are below, but feel free to contact us at Covering Florida 877-813-9115 for assistance if needed. 

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On September 28, 2017, CMS released guidance about a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) and other flexibilities that were available for consumers affected by Hurricanes and hurricane-related weather events that occurred in 2017.  The guidance included information about an Exceptional Circumstance SEP that allowed affected consumers to select a 2018 Marketplace plan or make changes to their existing 2018 plan from December 16 to December 31, 2017.

CMS has identified consumers who were erroneously denied access to this Exceptional Circumstances SEP and is notifying these consumers of eligibility for another SEP due to the error or misrepresentation of the Marketplace.  These consumers will be able to select a 2018 Marketplace plan or make changes to their existing 2018 plan by May 24, 2018.  Coverage accessed under this SEP will begin June 1st or July 1st, depending on the date the consumer selects their plan.  Consumers wishing to access coverage prior to June 1st must file an appeal within 90 days of the date of SEP Eligibility Notice.  
 
Who is eligible?Individuals who attested to residing in an area affected by a 2017 hurricane or hurricane related event who submitted an application within the last two weeks of December, but were not determined eligible for an SEP at that time, will be eligible for this new SEP.  Per the September 28, 2017 guidance, an area is considered affected if it is a county meeting the level of “individual assistance” or “public assistance” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

What documentation is needed?CMS has identified the population eligible for this SEP within Marketplace systems so that they can be easily identified by the Marketplace Call Center representatives and other CMS officials.   Anyone eligible for this SEP will receive a hard copy notice of this SEP in the mail.   CMS will not require the submission of any documentation to prove eligibility for this SEP. 
Steps to helping a consumer access this SEP:Eligible consumers can access this SEP directly through HealthCare.gov or through the Marketplace Call Center. 

To pick a plan through HealthCare.gov, consumers should:
1.     Log into their Marketplace account.
2.     Select “Start a new application or update an existing one.”
3.     Click on their name in the top right of the screen and choose “My applications & coverage.”
4.     Select your current application. You’ll see steps to continue to enrollment for anyone who was eligible to buy a 2018 Marketplace plan.
​
Note: Consumers will not be able to access this SEP through HealthCare.gov if they make changes to their online application.  If a consumer has had changes to their application since they last applied, like changes to household income or family size, they should call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to update their information and enroll. 

 Agency provides extended special enrollment periods for 2018 Medicare and Exchange coverage
 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced additional opportunities for individuals affected by the 2017 hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to enroll in Medicare health and drug plans and health coverage through the Federal Health Insurance Exchange.  CMS is providing these special enrollment periods so that certain individuals and families who were impacted can access health coverage on the Exchange and have additional time to join, drop, or switch Medicare health and prescription drug plans.  CMS announced initial special enrollment period opportunities in September, this extends these opportunities through March 31, 2018.
 
Marketplace Open Enrollment ended for Florida health care consumers on December 31, after an extended period allowed due to the hurricane impacts on Florida and other areas.
 
 Our Covering Florida Navigators are still working throughout the state and can assist consumers with contacting the Marketplace Exchange Call Center.  Our Navigators can also provide education and outreach to groups wishing to help in outreach efforts to those individuals and families who may be eligible for this extended opportunity. 
 
For special extended enrollment program information in Spanish, click here: En español  
 
Covering Florida Navigators continue to provide information and direct assistance to those Florida health care consumers who are or who may become eligible for health care coverage during the ongoing Special Enrollment Period (SEP) continuing through the fall of 2018.
 
SEP is a time outside of the open enrollment period during which you and your family have a right to sign up for health coverage.  Individuals qualify for a SEP if you have experienced any of the following life events, including, but not limited to, losing health coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or adopting a child. In most cases, the SEP is open for 60 days following the triggering event and everyone in the family will qualify for an SEP if any one member of a family loses their coverage.
  
Call Covering Florida today with any questions, you can reach us at 877-813-9115

TAMPA, FL - December 22, 2017
For Immediate Release

A lot more Floridians than we expected are going to have peace of mind and one less worry because they enrolled for Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage during the six weeks of Open Enrollment. Figures released yesterday by HHS show that Florida again led the way in enrollments among Affordable Care Act Marketplace states with 1.7 Million consumers . 

The 1.7 Million figure matched last year’s total enrollment, an achievement that no one had expectations of happening.
 
Jodi Ray , the Project Director for the statewide Covering Florida consortium had the following statement:
 
"Hearing that we matched last year’s total of 1.7 Million Floridians is amazing and proves not just how hard everyone worked to help as many consumers as feasibly possible, but just how great the need is and the personal desire to have health care coverage is to Floridians and Americans across the country. The fact that our statewide consortium was able to help achieve those numbers in half the time and in spite of serious budget cuts is in large part due to the help received from our partners, including the University of South Florida, CBS Community Partnerships, Get America Covered, Young Invincibles, League of Women Voters, traditional and social media outlets, statewide & local advocacy groups and grassroots activists and individuals. Thank you to everyone who committed to getting their friends, family and communities covered and stepped up and reached those people who now have 2018 coverage. Take a minute during the upcoming holiday period to sit back and appreciate this success you helped achieve. Covering Florida wishes everyone a VERY HEALTHY 2018!! "
 
 
Because of the Hurricane season impacts, Floridians can still get covered and be able to enjoy a healthier 2018 before the Hurricane Special Enrollment opportunity ends on December 31 st .
Exceptional Circumstances (Hurricane) SEP Eligible individuals may contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 or TTY at 1-855-889-4325 to request enrollment using this SEP after December 15, 2017. 
 
Special Enrollment Period Details:
Since all of Florida’s counties were impacted by Hurricanes this season, consumers must need only verbally attest that they were impacted in and/or relocated to one of those counties due to living in an area that was provided assistance by FEMA due to Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Irma. Consumers are not required to have had, or show proof of insurance for 60 days prior to the SEP. Documentation to support your attestation will not be required.
 
As with all Health Insurance Marketplace plans, financial assistance may be available. Consumers who receive financial assistance will be required to file US Federal income taxes for 2018. For more information, call Covering Florida at 877-813-9115.
 


About Covering Florida: Florida Covering Kids & Families is the lead entity for a Cooperative Agreement with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Navigator services throughout Florida. FL-CKF is a community and consumer-focused non-profit initiative of The Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies, based in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. Learn more here .

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For free in-person Navigator assistance state-wide call (877) 813-9115 or visit http://www.coveringflorida.org/   

Media inquiries please call Jody Young at 561-704-3912 or jody_r_young@att.net
The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-CA-NAV-15-001 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.” “The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.”

Exceptional Circumstances Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Individuals Impacted By 2017 Hurricane-Related Weather Event
 
The regular Open Enrollment deadline for Florida Marketplace consumers ends this year at midnight on December 15th.  Because of the impact on Florida by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Individuals attesting to residing in or moving from areas affected by a hurricane-related weather event in 2017 will be eligible for an Exceptional Circumstances SEP that extends the Health Insurance Marketplace 2018 Annual Open Enrollment Period through December 31, 2017. Consumers with questions can receive free and confidential assistance from a Covering Florida Navigator by calling (877) 813-9115 or scheduling an appointment online by visiting CoveringFlorida.org.  
 
Exceptional Circumstances SEP Eligible individuals may contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 or TTY at 1-855-889-4325 to request enrollment using this SEP after December 15, 2017. 
 
Special Enrollment Period Details:
Since all of Florida’s counties were impacted by Hurricanes this season, consumers must need only verbally attest that they were impacted in and/or relocated to one of those counties due to living in an area that was provided assistance by FEMA due to Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Irma. Consumers are not required to have had, or show proof of insurance for 60 days prior to the SEP.  Documentation to support your attestation will not be required
 
As with all Health Insurance Marketplace plans, financial assistance may be available. Consumers who receive financial assistance will be required to file US Federal income taxes for 2018.  For more information, call Covering Florida at 877-813-9115
 
Please see the attached FACT SHEET for more specific details on the Exceptional Circumstances Special Enrollment Period
 
The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-CA-NAV-15-001 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”  “The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.”

FACT SHEET for Exceptional Circumstances Special Enrollment Period
 
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services released guidance outlining a new special enrollment period (SEP) for people affected by the 2017 hurricanes, including Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This new guidance will provide individuals who were impacted by either or both of those these weather disasters additional time to enroll or change their ACA coverage for 2018. This guidance only applies to coverage purchased in the Health Insurance Marketplaces created by the ACA.
​
What does this mean for 2018 coverage?
 
The open enrollment period for individuals to enroll in coverage for 2018 began on November 1, 2017 and ends December 15, 2017. BUT people who either currently reside in a disaster-affected area, or did when Irma or Maria hit, will have until December 31, 2017 to enroll for 2018 coverage.
 
There has been some confusion between the hurricane SEP for 2017 coverage and the hurricane SEP which extends access to enrollment for 2018 coverage until December 31, 2017. For information about how to access health coverage which would be effective in the remainder of 2017, please read additional information on our blog.
 
Who is eligible for this extra time to enroll?
 
The guidance makes this SEP available to individuals who “reside, or resided at the time of the hurricane, in any of the counties declared as meeting the level of ‘individual assistance’ or ‘public assistance’ by FEMA.” If you currently live in any Florida county affected by the hurricanes or you lived in that county at the time of the hurricanes, then you are eligible to enroll in 2018 coverage until December 31st, 2017.
 
Do I have to provide documentation that I was affected by the hurricane, such as documents from FEMA?
 
Anyone who lives in a county considered “affected” by the hurricanes (or who lived in the county at the time of the hurricanes) is eligible for the extension and must only attest to living in those areas and to not being able to complete enrollment due to the hurricane. No further documentation will be needed.
 
 
What if I lived in Texas during Hurricane Harvey or in Puerto Rico during Maria but I have now moved to Florida?
 
Anyone who attests to moving from an area affected by a hurricane-related weather event in 2017 (and who lived in that area during the disaster) will be eligible for the extra time to enroll in coverage through December 31, 2017.
 
How can a person enroll using the SEP which extends enrollment access for 2018 coverage?
 
To access this additional time to enroll in coverage for 2018, a person must call the Marketplace Call Center and request the special enrollment period. However, the consumer can complete the application online – either alone or with in-person assistance – prior to calling the Marketplace Call Center. If the consumer’s application is already complete at the time he or she is requesting the extension, the consumer should provide the application number to the Marketplace Call Center. The applicant must tell the Call Center Representative that he or she was affected by the hurricane and requires more time to complete 2018 enrollment.  People may contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 or TTY at 1-855-889-4325 to request enrollment using this SEP after December 15, 2017. The call center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
 
Navigators and Certified Application Counselors (CACs) may use the special helpline set up just for assisters:
      *Assister line for Navigators: 1-855-868-4678        
      *Assister line for CACs: 1-855-879-2683
 
Here’s how the process would work:
 
1) A person submits an application for 2018 coverage via Healthcare.gov. In most cases (unless they were found eligible for some other special enrollment period), they would then receive an eligibility determination notice that would say they are ineligible to enroll in coverage because the open enrollment period for 2018 ended on December 15th, 2017.
 
2) They can then call the Marketplace call center and request the special enrollment period which extends the open enrollment for people in areas impacted by Irma or Maria. (This(this request must be submitted by the deadline of December 31, 2017). The applicant must tell the Call Center Representative that he or she was affected by the hurricane and requires more time to complete 2018 enrollment.
 
3) This request will then be forwarded to the Marketplace for review/approval.
 
4) Once the Marketplace has approved the enrollment extension and set the appropriate effective date, the consumer will be alerted via letter and will be able to go back to Healthcare.gov and select a plan.
 
What can I do if I am having trouble accessing the special enrollment period?
If you have questions or are having trouble using the enrollment extension then call Covering Florida at (877) 813- 9115.

 
Despite multiple challenges this year, Open Enrollment for 2018 Marketplace Health Care coverage has been an extraordinary success, exceeding all expectations. Once again, Florida leads the US in enrollment figures. Through the first 6 weeks of the allotted eight-week Open Enrollment period, Florida has signed up over 1 Million consumers who will enjoy full health coverage beginning on January 1st.

 
During these last two days, your Florida Navigators statewide are working long and hard to ensure that everyone gets covered prior to the deadline tomorrow. All of our Covering Florida consortium groups, listed below, are taking appointments right up to the last minute. Call the number above or visit www.CoveringFlorida.org
 
 
The Open Enrollment period was cut in half; advertising and outreach was cut by 90 percent. Our success so far has been helped by the extraordinary efforts of our partners in the media and advocacy groups. Heading into the final week, more people have signed up than ever before during this same time. Enrollment has defied expectations. Here’s the problem - there is very little time left for people to get covered and because of cuts to advertising, many people still don’t know that Friday is their last chance to get covered.

 
We are making a request that everyone reading this release to please share it with your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers, particularly in under-served and non-English language speaking areas. Let’s all make sure that anyone who might still need to enroll for coverage is aware of the deadline!
 
 
Let everyone know:
TOMORROW is your last chance to #GetCovered for 2018.

Don’t waste any time: Go to HealthCare.gov TODAY and sign up for affordable health coverage.
 
OUR STATEWIDE PARTNERS
 
90 Works – Serving Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Jackson, Washington, Calhoun, Gulf, and Bay counties
Broward Regional Health Planning Council – Serving Broward County
The Family Healthcare Foundation – Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Polk counties
Florida Keys Area Health Education Center, Inc. – Serving Monroe County
Suwannee River Area Health Education Center – Serving Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and Union counties
Health Council of Southeast Florida – Serving Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties
​ Health Council of South Florida – Serving Miami-Dade 
Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida – Serving Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia counties
Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida – Serving Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Sarasota, Highlands, Hardee, and Manatee counties
Primary Care Access Network – Serving Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Lake counties
​ United Way of Brevard – Serving Brevard County
University of South Florida Mobile Navigators – Serving Madison, Taylor, Jefferson, Gadsen, Wakulla, Liberty, Franklin, and Leon counties                                                                          
 
The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-CA-NAV-15-001 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.” “The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.”
 
 

Covering Florida is frequently called upon as an expert in health insurance coverage and health literacy for its ability to reach out to diverse audiences and educate consumers about health insurance coverage and utilization including options under the Affordable Care Act, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicaid.  Covering Florida reaches consumers through partner organizations and collaborates with hundreds of organizations, many of which provide direct service to thousands of health care consumers. The organization focuses largely on advocating for and increasing access to care and services via enrollment for individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals with disabilities, populations underserved in the current private health insurance market, and vulnerable populations by employing multi-lingual Navigators, producing brochures in multiple languages, conducting workshops, and providing interviews in various languages. 
 
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For free in-person Navigator assistance state-wide call (877) 813-9115 or visit http://www.coveringflorida.org/   

​“Nav-Lab” open to USF campus, community; anyone with questions about coverage welcome

Tampa, FL (11/28/2017) -- An on-site, free, community outreach and enrollment event to help consumers learn more about their coverage options through the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., November 30, 2017, at the USF Marshall Student Center, 4103 USF Cedar Circle, Tampa, FL 33620.
Navigators from USF Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF), joined by those from The Family Healthcare Foundation, will be able to assist people with Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment or renewals.  Navigators will offer education about the Marketplace, assist individuals and families with coverage choices and guide those interested in enrolling through the application process.

FL-CKF, a program at the University of South Florida in the College of Public Health was awarded a $4.9 million Navigator grant for the 2017-2018 enrollment period. FL-CKF works with 11 consortium partners across the state to help those who want assistance understanding and enrolling in healthcare coverage available through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

According to Jodi Ray, Director of FL-CKF, “Time is almost up! There are just over 2 weeks left to enroll in affordable health insurance for 2018.” FL-CKF Navigators will assist people with completing Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment or renewals and helping individuals understand their plan choices. Navigators will offer free, confidential education about the Marketplace and guide those interested in enrolling through the application process.
 
The last date to enroll for coverage that begins January 1, 2018 and the final day that 2017 enrollees can change policies before being “auto-reenrolled” in their previous health care coverage plans is December 15, 2017. 

“Nav-Lab” walk-ins are welcome, but registration is recommended, because parking is limited. For more information or to register, please call (813) 803-0628.

Other Important Information:
There will be very limited free parking spaces within Lot 3B off USF Holly Drive. These spaces will be marked off as reserved for this event only. Visitors parking on the USF-Tampa campus are required to purchase a daily parking permit. Parking pay station is located off USF Cedar Drive, Lot 5A. Daily parking for the Marshall Center is located within the Crescent Hill Parking Garage or Lot 3B and 3C off USF Holly Drive. There is also a sheltered Bull Runner Stop USF Cedar Circle, immediately in front of the Marshall Center.
                                                                    
-USF Health-
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a Top 50 research university in total research expenditures among both public and private institutions nationwide, according to the National Science Foundation. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

​3 Weeks in and the #OpenEnrollment Numbers are Solid, but...
 
First, Happy Thanksgiving everybody, we hope you enjoy the annual feasting with family and friends today and that you have plenty to be thankful for.  We’re thankful to share this news with you that we just received:
 
Florida leads all states during this year’s Open Enrollment with nearly 500K signed up thru November 18th !! (since Nov. 1st)
 
From Business Insider: 

“An enrollment snapshot released Wednesday from the Department and Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showed that enrollments in healthcare plans through the federally funded Healthcare.gov exchange has paced well ahead of last year.  Through November 18, 2,277,079 people enrolled in a Healthcare.gov plan. Of those, 566,042 are new customers, and 1,711,037 are returning enrollees.  That's a much faster pace than last year. Through the first full month of enrollment in 2016, just 2,137,717 people had enrolled in total, and 519,492 were new enrollees.
Sign ups are on pace for their fastest enrollment ever. But there's a catch...”
 
The catch of course, and the reason we are nervous, is simple.  Open Enrollment is going to be over soon, gone, kaput.  This year’s OE period ends on December 15th,  --six weeks sooner than last year’s time frame.  So our Navigator teams are going to join our family and friends at the table today, raise a glass to the success so far, but get right back to the business of enrolling consumers starting again tomorrow. Our phone line is open for appointments today.
 
We have a lot of organizations and individuals to thank for the big numbers so far in Florida, but we’ll save those for after, right now we are urging everybody to double down now on their outreach and marketing efforts, particularly to the traditional under-served and non-English speaking areas of Florida.  We’ve only got a couple of weeks left to make sure everybody who needs Marketplace insurance coverage in 2018 knows how and when to #GetCoveredNow!!
 
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Reprinted from Tampa Bay Times, by Justine Griffin.

​Despite the budget cuts, the attempts to repeal and replace, and reports of sharp rises in premiums, Floridians and other Americans are signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act at record rates this year.

Enrollment has surged 47 percent over this point last year in the 39 states with federal health care exchanges, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. About 1.5 million people across the country have signed up through healthcare.gov in the first 11 days of the six-week enrollment period for 2018. That includes the 876,788 consumers who purchased insurance during the second week of the period, Nov. 5-11.
Compare that to the just over 1 million people who signed up for Obamacare during the first 12 days of enrollment last year.
In the Tampa Bay area, health care "navigators" say they are seeing more consumers than ever.
"We've been very, very busy," said Melanie Hall, executive director of the Family Health Care Foundation in Tampa, one of the government-funded nonprofits that helps people navigate the system and sign up for coverage on the Florida exchange, the nation's largest ACA marketplace. "What's great is the word is getting out and people aren't waiting until the last minute to sign up."
Navigators at the University of South Florida have been so busy, they've been adding more slots than anticipated for scheduled appointments this week, said Jodi Ray, the director of USF's navigator program, Florida Covering Kids & Families.
"Our phones have been ringing off the hook," she said. "I think people are nervous about losing their coverage."
During the first four days of enrollment, Ray's program saw a 50 percent spike in traffic compared to last year, she said.

And most people seem to be finding more affordable rates than they anticipated.
"I think people are seeing lower premiums in some cases because of the tax credits," Hall said, referring to a signature Obamacare feature that protects people with lower incomes from high insurance rates.
The plans fall into four categories: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Consumers who choose bronze plans pay the lowest monthly premiums, but the most for care. Those with platinum plans have the highest monthly premiums, but the lowest cost of care.
Ray echoed Hall's assessment, adding: "Premiums jumped up this year, but what we're finding is that when we look at some of the plans side-by-side, even the gold plans, the premium costs actually went down. It depends on if you get the tax credits of course, but some people are finding better deals going up from a silver plan to a gold one to get that credit."
Not everyone is getting a great deal. Consumers with too much income to qualify for subsidies are bearing the brunt of premium hikes, a fact that many lawmakers are focusing on as they try to kill the law.
Those complaints, along with cuts to Obamacare's marketing budgets and the shorter sign-up window had navigators worried that fewer people would be shopping on the exchanges during this enrollment cycle.
"It's hard to know if we're enrolling more people or if more people are enrolling early, since we have half the time to reach them," Ray said. "But people are being responsive and that's making me happy."

Brittany Bianchi, a 28-year-old graduate student studying to be a physician's assistant at USF in Tampa, signed up for health insurance at a navigator event on campus this week. Bianchi is from California and is only in Florida for school, which made finding the right plan a little tricky.
"If I was back at home in California, I qualified for Medicaid because I'm a student and have no income," she said. "I was afraid if I tried to figure this out by myself it would have taken like, 4-5 hours, so I came here."
The uptick in overall enrollment was due mostly to consumers returning to the marketplace, as the number of new consumers is slightly down this year, according to the CMS report.
One of those newcomers is Spoorthy Prabhudeva, a graduate student in USF's college of medicine, who will no longer be on her parents' plan and was signing up for health insurance for the first time this month.
"A lot of what I've heard so far about the ACA has been exaggerated, like how high the premiums are," Prabhudeva said.
Bunni Lefebvre and her husband, Scott, in Tarpon Springs also signed up for the first time this week.
Both retired from their careers in IT earlier in the year when they were 50.
"We both had good jobs. We looked at our life and decided that we could live on what we'd saved so far, so we did it," Bunni Lefebvre said.
The couple married in 2016 and has no kids. They said not having the expense of children puts them a world apart from most other adults looking for insurance at their age.
"We don't have to pay for a college education or a wedding," Lefebvre said. "We don't have any family that we have to support or leave our house to. We budgeted and decided we could afford $1,000 a month for health insurance."
The couple decided on a bronze plan because they wanted only basic coverage.
"All we care about is coverage for the major stuff. We're not sickly people. We don't have major issues. But if one of us gets hit by a bus, we don't want to have a $700,000 bill," Bunni Lefebvre said.
After talking about their options with a broker, they said they were surprised at how easy it was to sign up on healthcare.gov — and how low their cost would be compared to what they had budgeted.
The plan they selected came with a premium of $70 a month for both of them, with a $7,000 deductible.
Contact Justine Griffin at jgriffin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8467. Follow @SunBizGriffin.
http://sptimes.com/news/health/in-tampa-bay-and-elsewhere-early-numbers-show-record-sign-ups-for-obamacare/2344446

The test is expected to come near the end of a narrow window
Fans and foes of the Affordable Care Act expected that political confusion and budget cuts would splash cold water on the willingness of Americans to sign up for health care coverage in this year’s shortened open enrollment period.
But so far it appears that both sides underestimated the vital importance that access to health care holds for individuals who cannot obtain it any other way.
​
More than two weeks into an abbreviated enrollment period that ends Dec. 15, the daily average of people purchasing policies through the federal website HealthCare.gov is higher by 60 percent than in 2015 — at a rate of more than 134,000 a day, compared to about 77,000. Despite a lower number of insurance carriers, generally higher premium costs and slashed federal spending on promotion and assistance, the numbers of new and returning customers are both up sharply.
Data at the local and state levels are not yet available, said Jodi A. Ray, director of Florida Covering Kids & Families at the University of South Florida’s Chiles Center. Ray has led the coalition of organizations responsible for helping Floridians enroll in this part of the state since 2013, at the beginning of what has come to be known as Obamacare. But from what she is seeing so far, Ray is guardedly optimistic.

“I’m not going to tell you whether there’s a trend,” she said. “But the results that I’m getting from the field are really positive. We really put forth an aggressive effort to reach out to customers that we’ve worked with over the past four years. The appointments are filling up, which is great.”

This is happening despite a determined effort to reduce the amount of reliable information reaching consumers, observed Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform for the Kaiser Family Foundation, which researches health care issues.
“For the fifth open enrollment, the period was shortened to six weeks, with a 90 percent reduction in federal funding for advertising and a 41 percent reduction in navigator grants,” she said, referring to the hiring budget for the trained advisers who help people sign up online. The foundation’s research showed, she said, that going into the enrollment period, “Nearly 30 percent of the general public and 40 percent of the uninsured don’t know whether the health care law is still in effect.”

Funding for navigator funding in Florida is higher than the national average, with only a 30 percent reduction in spending from 2016, a drop from almost $9.5 million to about $6.6 million. Some states are responding by concentrating their outreach and education in urban areas, where it is most effective, and leaving rural consumers to find their own way.
But Ray’s group adopted a different strategy, hiring as many navigators as possible for the enrollment period and laying them off later.
“Regardless of the cuts that we took, we weren’t going to eliminate vulnerable populations that we were serving already,” she said. “We find that the people who need the assistance of navigators come in with more complex situations. We have been calling for months to let them know about the shortened enrollment period and encouraging them to come in.”
In Sarasota and Manatee counties, only about 7 percent of the population enrolled in Obamacare in 2017 — just over 54,000 residents. Several factors are in play here, including an unusually high number of Medicare beneficiaries, and the fact that Floridians do not have access to the Medicaid expansion program that makes more low-income Americans eligible for coverage. About 384,000 people in this state fell into that coverage gap last year, making too much money to qualify for traditional Medicaid coverage and too little to receive insurance subsidies under the federal plan.
But it is also likely that many young and healthy county residents, mostly holding jobs in the service economy, are opting to pay the tax penalty of $695 or more rather than seeking out health care coverage. This is the population that worries health care policy experts, because their participation is necessary to make the “risk pool” math work for insurance providers.
“It’s important to keep in mind that the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to significantly cut outreach will primarily be felt in the final weeks of open enrollment,” said Lori Lodes, co-founder of the nonprofit Get America Covered, and a former outreach staffer for HealthCare.gov. “The young and healthy tend to sign up when it’s close to the deadline, and need the extra reminders that advertising provides. That’s why we need to do even more during the final four weeks before the final Dec. 15 deadline to make sure people understand that coverage for most people is more affordable than they think.”
Ray emphasized that these younger consumers should at least find out what their options are, and whether they qualify for premium assistance.
“You want to make sure that people remember that there is a mandate, and they may get penalized financially,” she said. “You’re going to pay this huge penalty and not get anything for it. Most of the people who are applying, they’re getting the subsidy.”
She added that her navigators are encountering confusion about whether the Affordable Care Act is still in place.
“The early response is great and promising, but I’m not ready to call it a win,” she said. “We spent four years educating people, and we really made headway. I remember the first year, people didn’t know anything. And now we’re kind of almost starting over.”
On the other hand, she said, the pace of enrollments so far makes sense to her: “People need insurance. Florida every year has led the nation in enrollment. From my vantage point, we have seen the need, and we have witnessed the real desire to have coverage.”

Obamacare: what you need to know
• Deadlines: This year’s enrollment period runs until Dec. 15. Due to a special exception for states affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, Floridians can apply for an extension until Dec. 31. But this option is not recommended, because of uncertainty about how it would affect the start date of insurance coverage.
• How to enroll: Florida has no state exchange, so the federal website, HealthCare.gov, is the portal for enrollment. The site also has answers to most general questions.
• If you need help: Navigators are available in this area through the enrollment period, by appointment. You can find one by going to CoveringFlorida.org. Click on “enroll and renew coverage” and enter your ZIP code.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20171120/so-far-heady-pace-for-obamacare-enrollment