MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- December 15 is the last day you can choose a health care plan through the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplace if you want coverage to begin January 1.
Open enrollment for what’s commonly called Obamacare continues through the end of January for those don’t mind having a policy start later in 2017.
The Primary Care and Hope Clinic in Murfreesboro is one of the mid-state locations where you can go to get assistance enrolling for or updating your Obamacare medical coverage. The clinic’s Alex Hill says this enrollment period has been hectic because a couple of large insurers dropped out of the Tennessee market, forcing many policy holders to enroll with a new provider.
Prices have also increased dramatically this year, but Hill says that isn’t necessarily a barrier to coverage.
“Premium prices are increasing,” she noted. “However, if consumers are eligible for the tax credit, the tax credit is also rising to help cover the cost of that increasing premium cost.”
The Primary Care and Hope Clinic’s mission is to treat what they call the “underserved patients in Middle Tennessee.”
Director of Development Cindy Rhea says that because of typical high deductibles the Affordable Care Act hasn’t helped the clinic’s patient population with basic medical care to the extent hoped for.
“They’re moving from uninsured to under insured. In our patients that’s kind of what we’ve seen. It hasn’t helped them for a lot of just regular primary care areas,” Rhea said.
President Elect Trump has promised to repeal Obamacare when he takes office in January, but Alex Hill says that possibility doesn’t seem to be keeping new enrollees from signing up.
Would you like to investigate ACA policies online? Would you like to learn more about the Primary Care and Hope Clinic of Murfreesboro?