Get official resources from the Health Insurance Marketplace, including web ads and widgets for your website, here.
Apply to be a Certified Application Counselor organization
If you’d like to help by training your staff or volunteers to assist people applying for coverage through the Marketplace, you can apply to be a Certified application counselor (CAC) organization.
Enroll America
Enroll America is a great resource for hospitals and patients. Their Resource Library is available here. They also have best practices on in-person enrollment assistance here.
Consumer Websites: HealthCare.gov / CuidadoDeSalud.gov
Call Center: 1-800-318-2596
Partner/Stakeholder Website: Marketplace.cms.gov
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/HealthCare.gov
Twitter: @HealthCareGov
Glossary of ACA Terms
American Hospital Association
The AHA has collected resources to help you navigate the ACA’s insurance Marketplaces and Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs on their Get Enrolled! website.
American Medical Association
The AMA has collected resources to help you help patients find coverage, including a reference sheet with answers for questions commonly asked by patients.
Community Resources
CoverMS
A coalition of Mississippi non-profit organizations and public health advocates, CoverMS, is launching a state wide outreach effort to encourage residents to enroll in the new Health insurance exchange.
Community Health Centers
In July 2013, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $150 million
in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation to enroll uninsured Americans in new
health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act.
Health centers in all 50 states received these awards. The purpose of this funding is to help
consumers understand their coverage options through the new Marketplace, Medicaid and the
Children’s Health Insurance Program; determine their eligibility and what financial help they can
get; and enroll in new affordable health coverage options beginning October 1.
For a list of health centers receiving this funding in Mississippi, click here.
Navigators
Each Marketplace must establish a grant program to fund entities or individuals called
“Navigators” that will provide consumer assistance. Navigators will help consumers understand
new health insurance options available through the Marketplace and will help consumers select a
health plan.
Navigators will have a vital role in helping consumers prepare electronic and paper applications
to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplace. This includes steps to
help consumers find out if they qualify for insurance affordability programs (including a
premium tax credit, cost sharing reductions, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance
Program) and, if eligible, to get enrolled. Navigators will also provide outreach and education to
consumers to raise awareness about the Marketplace, and will refer consumers to ombudsmen
and other consumer assistance programs when necessary.
You will be able to locate Navigators and other assisters by calling the National Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center or on HealthCare.gov under “Find Someone Local" (in October).
Tax Credits
People will be able to apply for advance premium tax credits in exchanges in a variety of ways, including online, by paper application, and over the phone through call centers. There is a standard paper application, which is three pages plus appendices for individuals and longer for families.
Marketplace Application Checklist
To apply for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace, your patients will need to provide some information about themselves and their household, including income, any insurance currently held, and some additional items.
Use the checklist below to help patients gather what they need to apply for coverage.
- Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants). To obtain a replacement card, please visit ssa.gov/ssnumber, call 800-772-1213, or visit your local office which can be found at secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
- Employer and income information for every member of the household who needs coverage (for example, from pay stubs or W-2 forms—Wage and Tax Statements). To obtain a replacement W-2 from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you can either call 800-829-1040 or complete and submit a transcript request form for your W-2 from irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf.
- Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of the household
- A completed Employer Coverage Tool (see page 2 of this checklist,www.healthcare.gov/downloads/MarketplaceApp_Checklist_Generic.pdf) for every job-based plan anyone in the household is eligible for. (They’ll need to fill out this form for coverage they’re eligible for, even if they don’t enroll.)
Call 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325.
Online chat is also available 24/7 on www.healthcare.gov . Just look for the blue box on the lower right hand corner of the page. You’ll be connected to a customer service representative who can answer your questions in an online conversation.
Navigators and other in-person assistance: You can use localhelp.healthcare.gov to find help in your area.