DCHD awarded ACA outreach grant
DUPAGE COUNTY—The DuPage County Health Department is pleased to announce that it is has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will allow the Health Department to engage, educate and facilitate the enrollment of young adults ages 19 to 34 and small businesses (less than 50 employees) and their employees in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.
Young adults and small businesses have been identified as groups requiring greater outreach and education for enrollment in insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In addition, young adults (19-34) are the age group most likely to be uninsured. It will be critical to educate young people about the new pathways to affordable coverage through the Marketplace; for most young adults, the cost of health insurance is the greatest barrier.
Similarly, there is a need to educate small businesses about the Health Insurance Marketplace. A 2012 report by the University of Illinois on the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) indicated that most small businesses with 50 or fewer employees stated they knew little or nothing at all about Marketplaces and were concerned about cost, further demonstrating the need for targeted outreach and education to this group.
Federal funds will support the Health Department's county-wide outreach and enrollment initiative, Enroll DuPage. In addition to the targeted outreach to young adults and small businesses, the Health Department plans to leverage the strong network of social service providers to create a more robust opportunity to enroll DuPage County residents eligible for health coverage under the ACA. To achieve this goal, the Health Department recently awarded grants to 13 community organizations that will participate in activities to conduct outreach, education and enrollment in the Marketplace throughout DuPage County. These grants were supported by funds the Health Department received through the Illinois Department of Public Health's In-Person Counselor Grant Program.
Enrollment in the Marketplace will begin on Oct. 1, with pre-enrollment activities under way and coverage will begin starting Jan. 1, 2014.
For more information on ACA, please visit www.dupagehealth.org/affordablecareact. You can also follow the Health Department on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
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