Community Corner

Grant to Help Uninsured Enroll in Insurance Programs

The money will help the Will County Health Department sign up residents for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

By Karen Sorensen (Editor)

The Will County Health Department, based in Joliet, issued this news release about signing people up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act:

The Will County Health Department (WCHD) will receive a one-year grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health to fund a county-wide initiative designed to increase access to healthcare for Will County residents. 

Headquartered in Joliet, the WCHD is one of 44 community-based organizations from across Illinois selected to participate in the outreach and enrollment effort as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In order to comply with grant requirements, WCHD will be conducting outreach, providing education, and facilitating enrollment through the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.

Enrollment in the Marketplace will begin October 1, 2013, with pre-enrollment activities beginning in the next few weeks. The Health Department will be recruiting personnel to help it fulfill its grant obligations.

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The state will provide Health Department representatives with intensive training designed to help them educate consumers about the ACA and various health care options available to them. Marketplace coverage begins January 1, 2014. WCHD Executive Director John Cicero believes the ACA will provide historic opportunities for eligible Will County residents.

“It is likely that many area residents who will be eligible for subsidized coverage through the ACA have never, or rarely, enjoyed access to comprehensive health coverage,” he said.

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The Marketplace will be accessed through a user-friendly website where individuals, families and small businesses will be able to compare healthcare policies and premiums, and subsequently obtain comprehensive health coverage. Those with income between 138 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level will receive subsidies on a sliding scale and may obtain coverage through the Marketplace.

The competitive grant application was developed jointly by the WCHD and the Will County Executive’s office grant specialist. The grant is administered by the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Public Health. 

Provisions of the ACA call for expansion of insurance coverage to all adults, free preventive care, parity of mental health and medical coverage, and no insurance denials for those with pre-existing conditions. For more information about the ACA, go to www.healthcare.gov or www.healthcarereform.illinois.gov


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