RALEIGH — Beginning today, more than 800,000 uninsured or underinsured North Carolina residents will have the opportunity to find affordable, quality health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. The new health insurance options will provide consumers with coverage for the health care they need most, and many North Carolinians will even be able to get help paying for that insurance. Consumers can qualify for help paying for the cost of their insurance, if their incomes fall between approximately $24,000 and $95,000 for a family of four.
Enrollment will be open through March 31, 2014, and for those who enroll before Dec. 15, 2013, coverage will begin Jan. 1, 2014. North Carolinians interested in applying for coverage have the option of calling a national hotline (1-800-318-2596), going online at http://www.healthcare.gov or https://epass.nc.gov, or getting personal assistance from a certified enrollment assister to secure health insurance through the Marketplace. For North Carolina specifically, individuals interested in an appointment with a Navigator to enroll in coverage will have access to a statewide hotline that will be available beginning Oct. 14 by calling 1-855-733-3711.
To help individuals and families better afford their health insurance, the federally-certified Navigators and Outreach and Enrollment Specialists have received training in the insurance plan options offered by the marketplace, along with the cost-sharing reductions and premium tax credits eligibility. Local residents will have the opportunity to schedule appointments with Navigators to receive assistance in applying for health insurance plans and pursuing tax credits and reductions as well as help enrolling in other federal and state health care programs, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Assistance will be available to consumers who are disabled, do not speak English or are unfamiliar with health insurance.
The following entities have been designated by Washington as certified Navigators and Enrollment Specialists:
Randolph Hospital (Randolph County) — joellenneedham@randolphhospital.org
Mountain Projects — 1-800-627-1548 or www.mountainprojects.org
Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina — 1-800-688.4232
North Carolina Navigator Consortium:
Council on Aging Buncombe County — Navigator@coabc.org
Legal Aid of North Carolina — Navigator@LegalAidNC.org
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont — Navigator@lssp.org
Pisgah Legal Services — Navigator@pisgahlegal.org
Disability Rights — Navigator@disabilityrightsnc.org
MediAssist — (704) 536-1790

The Benefit Bank — Navigator@mdcinc.org
NC Agromedicine Institute — agromednavigator@ecu.edu
Partnership for Community Care — Navigator@P4care.org
Community Care of Wake-Johnston — Navigator@wakedocs.org
Access East — (252) 847-8288

The federally-funded Community Health Centers, represented by the North Carolina Community Health Center Association — (919) 655-0389 or (919) 655-0380.