The health insurance marketplace open enrollment period starts Saturday. It ends Feb. 15.
Neil Deegan, Pennsylvania State Director of Enroll America said during the last open enrollment period, 28,000 Allegheny County residents signed up for health coverage. But there are still residents without it.
“The uninsured rate here in Allegheny County is at about 12 percent. So while great work was done last year, there’s much to be done,” Deegan said at an event held Friday in Garfield.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 13 percent of the total American population is uninsured.
Jason Snyder, director of the Consumer Health Coalition, said there is also a concerted effort to insure children in the city. There are an estimated 2,000 uninsured children in the city.
There are now five insurance companies offering plans in the region. Last year there were three.
Erin Ninehouser, education and outreach director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, said the bugs that plagued enrollment during the last open enrollment period are no more.
“It's so much different than last year," Ninehouser said. "Systems are working well, the application process is simpler, quicker and easier and there’s lots of help.”
On Dec. 1, enrollment for Healthy PA, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid-expansion alternative, will start.
