Cover Missouri Coalition Steps Up Health Insurance Marketplace Education Campaign in Advance of Feb. 15 Enrollment Deadline
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Feb. 15 deadline for enrolling in 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace plans just weeks away, the Cover Missouri Coalition is ramping up efforts to educate Missourians about their coverage options. Although 209,336 Missourians have already selected Marketplace plans*, Cover Missouri seeks to increase this number even further as part of its broader and ongoing work to reduce the state's uninsured rate to less than five percent in five years.
"Since 2013 we've made tremendous strides in increasing the number of Missourians who have quality, affordable health coverage," said Nancy Kelley, program director, Cover Missouri. "However, because having health coverage has such a substantial, positive impact on someone's health and overall life quality, we hope even more people will choose to get covered this year."
The Coalition's more than 700 members are amping up efforts this weekend to encourage more Missourians to take the first step and learn more. Coalition members will be holding free education and enrollment events and extending office hours for in-person application assisters, to help empower consumers with the factual information they need to select the right coverage for them. Specific activities include:
- Enrollment and education events offered in every region of the state. Missourians can find sessions in their area, by visiting www.covermissouri.org/events/
- In-person help. Hundreds of Navigators, CACs, agents, and brokers are available throughout the state to help Missourians in one-on-one, confidential settings. Consumers can find in-person help near them by visiting www.covermissouri.org/tools/find-help-near-you
- Live Facebook chats geared toward driving awareness of opportunities to obtain affordable health coverage among historically underinsured populations, such the LGBT community, women and Latinos. Cover Missouri experts will moderate the sessions and respond to questions submitted by consumers. Chats have recently taken place focused on LGBT health (with PROMO on Jan. 15) and women's health (with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and PRIMARIS on Jan. 21), both available to view on Cover Missouri's Facebook page. A Spanish-language chat is planned for the week of Jan. 26.
"We encourage anyone still considering their 2015 coverage options to take advantage of these free information sessions, enrollment events, online chats, and other services to learn more," said Kelley.
ABOUT COVER MISSOURI COALITION
Cover Missouri is a project of the Missouri Foundation for Health to promote quality, affordable health coverage for every Missourian. The Cover Missouri Coalition aims to reduce the rate of uninsured Missourians to less than five percent in the next five years. Members work to build awareness, facilitate enrollment, increase health insurance literacy, and support Medicaid transformation. Coalition members also share learning and best practices, maximize resources, identify challenges and opportunities, and build an inclusive plan to insure Missourians. For more information on the Marketplace, please visit covermissouri.org.
ABOUT MISSOURI FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH
Missouri Foundation for Health is a resource for the region, working with communities and nonprofits to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. To learn more, please visit mffh.org.
*Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
SOURCE Cover Missouri Coalition
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