Info session on Affordable Health Care Wednesday in Huntley

Submitted by Office of state Rep. Tryon

Residents from McHenry and Kane counties are invited to attend an informational session on Wednesday, Oct. 9, where a representative from the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace will provide information and answer questions about the federal Affordable Care Act.

The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Huntley village hall, 10987 E. Main St. The topics to be covered include: whether you have to purchase insurance; whether you qualify for financial assistance; and how to purchase insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

The keynote speaker will be Giovanni Gomez, regional coordinator of Outreach and Consumer Education for the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.

“Everywhere I go I am approached by people who are confused and nervous about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and I felt it was important to bring in an expert who could explain exactly how the ACA will affect the residents of my legislative district,” said state Rep. Mike Tryon. “The Health Insurance Marketplace opened on Oct. 1 and I’ve heard from a lot of residents who are extremely frustrated with an inability to navigate the ‘Get Covered Illinois’ website.”

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, and the state of Illinois entered into a state-federal partnership Health Insurance Exchange agreement in February of this year.

“The Affordable Care Act includes a mandate for most individuals to have health insurance or potentially pay a penalty for noncompliance,” said Tryon. “They will have to maintain a minimum level of coverage for themselves and their dependents, but people have no idea what that minimum level is, what it will cost, and what their penalty will be if they do not comply. Hopefully, people will be able to have their questions answered at this meeting so they have a better understanding of exactly what they need to do to be in compliance with this new federal law.”

To attend, contact Rep. Mike Tryon’s office at (815) 459-6453 or mike@miketryon.com.