Open enrollment starts Wednesday

Open enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. The Northwest Community Health Center is encouraging people who want help navigating the insurance marketplace to schedule an appointment with Teresa Chandler, the center’s certified application counselor.

It costs nothing to meet with Chandler, who recommends that people schedule a consultation rather than apply on their own.

“(That way) we can fine tune (a policy) to fit their needs,” she said.

To further ease the enrollment process, Chandler recommends that people come to appointments fully prepared with income information and social security numbers. She said for those who enrolled in previous years to bring their log-in information, “else we have to reset passwords.”

In addition to holding appointments at the center’s Libby location, Chandler will be at the Troy facility on Nov. 15, Nov. 29 and Dec. 13 and in Eureka on Nov. 22 and Dec. 6.

Northwest Community Health Center is located at 320 East 2nd St. in Libby and at 102 Sandalwood Court in Troy. When Chandler visits Euerka, she works out of the Lincoln County Annex Building at 66121 Hwy 37.

People who miss the enrollment deadline are “out of luck” for health coverage for 2018, Chandler said, unless they experience a life-changing event such as marriage or job loss.

Given this year’s narrower enrollment window — enrollment in previous years could last until Jan. 31 — Administrative Assistant Kara Matthews said the center urges “people to schedule appointments sooner rather than later.”

“We just want to make sure everyone gets the help they need,” she said.

Chandler said it was important for people to remember that, despite the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act’s future, the mandate still exists. According to HealthCare.gov, the current penalty for not having health coverage is 2.5 percent of an applicant’s household income or $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, whichever is higher.

Matthews said the center has seen significant decreases in uninsured patients since the Affordable Care Act’s inception in 2010, going from 51 percent in 2010 to 30 percent in 2015 and 16 percent in 2017.

“The main reason for the decrease last year was due to the expansion of (Montana) Medicaid,” she said.

For more information or to make an appointment with Chandler, call 406-283-6900.