Enroll Lake County! hosts health insurance information events

Members of the Enroll Lake County! team will be at Gurnee Mills mall to help individuals and families shop the Health Insurance Marketplace, learn about their health insurance options available under the Affordable Care Act, and sign people up for health care insurance.

Enroll Lake County! team members will distribute educational fliers and answer questions from the public at mall entrances E and B from noon to 6 p.m. on each of the following days: Mondays, March 3 and 10; Wednesdays, March 5 and 12; and Thursdays, March 6 and 13.

Individuals will also have the opportunity to receive personalized, health insurance application assistance from certified navigators. These navigators will be available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15.

Enroll Lake County! will man tables in the common area of the Macy's wing of Gurnee Mills mall. Appointments are available and can be made by calling (847) 377-4999. Walk-up appointments will also be available.

Spearheaded by the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center, in partnership with The Alliance for Human Services, Enroll Lake County! is the initiative working to educate and enroll Lake County residents in new health insurance programs available through the Affordable Care Act.

Individuals and families eligible to purchase insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace have until March 31 to enroll in a health insurance plan.

For those eligible for Medicaid, there is no end date for enrollment. Navigators will remain available to assist people applying for Medicaid on an ongoing basis.

Through the Enroll Lake County! initiative, nearly 80 specially trained and certified counselors, called navigators, are available at 28 sites throughout the county to assist, answer questions and work with residents to enroll for health insurance. Their services are free.

Since October, Enroll Lake County! navigators have educated more than 14,000 individuals and helped more than 3,700 complete applications.

There are several ways for Illinois residents to enroll for health insurance:

• visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov;

• call Enroll Lake County! at (847) 377-4999 for assistance or to schedule an appointment with a local navigator;

• call the Get Covered Illinois Help Desk at (866) 311-1119.

For information about other Enroll Lake County! community events and enrollment site locations, visit EnrollLakeCounty.com or GetcoveredIllinois.gov/events.