In Texas, there are over 5 million persons who fit currently are without health insurance. A large percentage of the 5+ million are 18-35 years of age.
As part of the Affordable Care Act, people who were uninsured before Oct. 1, 2013, now have the opportunity to enroll in a health insurance exchange and become covered.
Representatives from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) will be on all TCC campuses from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 and Friday, Nov. 15, to share important information about the Health Insurance Marketplace and help those students who wish to enroll in the Marketplace. Navigators also will be on hand to help students enroll in the health plan that best fits their needs.
Check your campus for the exact location.
At the request of CMS, TCC is making its public spaces available for these meetings; but is not a sponsor of them. TCC is not advocating the Affordable Care Act, nor is TCC making any explicit or implicit recommendations about what choices students might make about health care coverage. All questions about the Affordable Care Act must be directed to CMA.
Prepare to apply
According to CMS, most people using the Marketplace will qualify to save money. The Marketplace offers different types of health plans to meet a variety of needs and budgets. You’ll need to figure out how much you want to spend on health coverage each month.
To find out how much you’re eligible for when you apply, it will help to have these things available:
- Social Security number (or document number for legal immigrants)
- Birth date
- Pay stubs, W-2 forms, or “Wage and Tax Statements”
- Policy number for any current health insurance
- Information about any health insurance you or your family could get from your jobs
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is providing education and enrollment assistance across our region to a variety of audiences. As a Federal agency, CMS offers unbiased information regarding the statutes under which the Marketplace operates. They are not agents or brokers, do not charge for this service, nor are they compensated by any health insurance plan for what they do.
Questions about the Health Insurance Marketplace should be directed to CMS at:
https://www.healthcare.gov/health-insurance-marketplace/ .