Living Affected Corporation Goes IPA 5000 for Affordable Care Act
The Living Affected team engaged local residents with questions about the much-discussed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Tuesday, July, 30 during a town hall meeting hosted jointly by the Arkansas Community Organization's Arkansas Community Institute and the Arkansas Health Connector, a division of the Arkansas Insurance Department. The meeting held at the State Fair ground in the Hall of Industry was among the first of several meeting being planned statewide to ramp the public education piece of the mandate.
The town hall meetings are part of the “Get In” education campaign that is aimed at encouraging all Arkansans to seek insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. The federal law requires that all Americans be insured by Jan. 1 or face penalties for opting out. The act also makes it illegal for consumers to be denied coverage or be charged more for pre-existing conditions. On Oct. 1, 2013.
Arkansans can shop for and purchase plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace that cover the 10 Essential Health Benefits that range from inpatient and outpatient services to prescription services and maternity care. The new law also provides subsidies, based on income, that will help residents purchase health insurance.
Polk County residents are encouraged to attend to:
• Get answers to questions
• Learn about costs and coverage options
• Learn where you can get one-on-one assistance
• Find out how to enroll
“The Affordable Care Act simply makes sense when it comes to obtaining insurance. Moving forward I see it as an attainable goal for every Arkansan and we are super excited to tell them about that possible,” said Lee Brown, Living Affected Expansion and Development Director.
“We want to be apart of these town hall meetings to help dispel some of the misconceptions and clear up some of the misinformation that’s out there. Now, 250,000 people in this state without insurance can breathe a little easier because this law is taking effect. We want everyone to get informed and ‘Get In." he concluded.
The Living Affected Corporation will be partnering with the Arkansas Insurance Department as they host “Informed Communities” meetings in many of the state’s 75 counties.
For more information about the town hall meetings that the organization will be attending call 379.8203 or info@livingaffected.org
Residents unable to attend an “Informed Communities” town hall meeting have a variety of other options for finding information. They can visit ARHealthConnector.org, call 855-283-3483 or follow the Arkansas Health Connector on Facebook and Twitter.
