On October 1, the website for DC’s Health Benefit Exchange will go live. The online portal will present an array of private insurance plans for individuals and small businesses, which will offer a great deal of choice, but some consumers might feel the need for additional help to make the best choices. That’s why, earlier this week, the District awarded $6.4 millionin federal grants to 35 community organizations to be part of what is known as the In-Person Assister Program.
The grants fund 150 workers, known as “community assisters,” who will educate residents and businesses about the implementation of Obamacare in DC. The Exchange, which is now known as the DC Health Link, will be up and running October 1, and plans will go into effect January 1, 2014. As the District’s Dime has noted, the benefits of competition can already be seen in terms of pricing’but choice can also bring confusion about the differences between plans and the optimal plan for a particular person or business.
Assisters will do exactly that’assist with those sometimes difficult choices’as well as help consumers determine if they are eligible for Medicaid or for tax credits and subsidies that help with out-of-pocket costs.
This program will go a long way toward helping many residents and small businesses in the District with the Exchange, but there is an additional role for organizations that serve vulnerable DC residents but did not get a grant. These organizations can certify as “application counselors” so they can give clients advanced support with the Exchange. Certified application counselors will perform similar roles to assisters and receive similar training, but the program gives organizations the flexibility not to become District grantees.
To see a full list of assister organizations, click here.
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