Austin American-Statesman
(TX) October 28, 2019
If a
competitive health insurance market and stable premiums were all that mattered,
local health care advocates say, then open enrollment that begins Friday for
2020 coverage under the Affordable Care Act would be smooth sailing.
But
scant federal promotion of the six-week sign-up period is once again fueling
concerns that some people will miss a chance to obtain health insurance simply
because they're unaware of it.
In
addition, an appeals court ruling in a major, Texas-led legal challenge to the
Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- is expected any day, meaning
it could come on the eve of open enrollment that runs through Dec. 15, or
during the middle of it.
"Once
the decision comes out, that will probably have a dampening effect" on
enrollment if the appeals court rules that the Affordable Care Act is
unconstitutional, said Kori Hattemer, a health care advocate with local
nonprofit Foundation Communities. "People may see the headline and think
it's gone."
But
Hattemer and others said consumers who want Affordable Care Act coverage for
the coming year should sign up regardless of how the court rules. That's
because the decision is expected to be put on hold pending an appeal by the
losing side to the U.S. Supreme Court, so neither the upcoming enrollment
period nor the 2020 insurance plans will be affected.
The
United Way for Greater Austin, with backing from Travis County's
taxpayer-supported health agency Central Health, is providing a call center for
information and assistance during the upcoming enrollment period for people who
want coverage. To access the service, area residents can dial 211 on their
telephones.
A
federal judge in Fort Worth ruled last December that the Affordable Care Act is
unconstitutional in its entirety, siding in favor of a Texas-led coalition of
20 states that sued to overturn the law, a signature achievement of former
President Barack Obama and a prime target of conservative foes ever since. A
coalition of states that support the law, led by California, appealed.
Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott, a long-time critic of the Affordable Care Act, said at the
time of the initial ruling last December that Texas -- which has the highest
rate of uninsured people in the country -- "will be ready with replacement
health care insurance" if the law ultimately is thrown out.
But he
and other leaders of Republican-controlled state government did little during
this year's session of the Texas Legislature to address the issue. Abbott
spokesman John Wittman didn't respond to a recent question from the
American-Statesman regarding the governor's plans if the Affordable Care Act is
overturned.
About
1.09 million Texans enrolled for 2019 coverage on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace
created by the Affordable Care Act, including a total of about 85,000 in
Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell and Burnet counties, according to
the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Enrollment in Travis
County came in at 53,309, while Williamson County sign-ups totaled 19,447.
Local
health care advocates say they're optimistic heading into the open enrollment
period for 2020.
"The
marketplace for Austin is looking really good," said Hattemer, who is in
charge of financial programs for Foundation Communities. "Everything we
are doing on outreach right now is just to say: Here are the facts. It's all
good news right now. The marketplace in Texas is stable (and) pre-existing
protections still exist."
The
same four insurance companies that offered plans in the region last year on
the HealthCare.gov marketplace
are expected to do so again this year. They include Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Texas, Ambetter, Oscar Health and Sendero, a nonprofit offshoot of Travis
County's Central Health agency.
In
addition, an unsubsidized family of four in Travis County opting for the
lowest-cost available coverage will pay an average of about 1% less in 2020
than in 2019, or $995 a month compared to $1,002, according to a recent
analysis of local plans by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Federal subsidies reduce those amounts significantly for consumers eligible to
receive them, although people who aren't eligible for subsidies pay the full price.
"We
are looking for it to be a pretty strong year," Sendero chief executive
Wesley Durkalski said. "Hopefully, we'll do a little bit better" than
last year, when Sendero, which offers plans in Travis and seven surrounding
counties, had about 14,000 enrollees.
(c)2019
Austin American-Statesman, Texas
Visit
Austin American-Statesman, Texas at www.statesman.com
Distributed
by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
No comments:
Post a Comment