Nov. 16--Stephanie Lucas got a raise this summer, but the extra income pushed her out of eligibility for Medicaid.
On a recent visit to her doctor at Komed Holman Health Center on Chicago's South Side, Lucas, a supervisor at a security company, learned about buying private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. She found a government-subsidized health plan for $62 a month.
"I have diabetes," said Lucas, 46. "I need insurance to help pay for my medicine and doctor's visits."
Lucas' story of finding affordable insurance gave her a chance to meet White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett on Monday when she visited the health center as part of an event to promote the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature law to reduce the uninsured rate.
During the third season of open enrollment under the health care law, the Obama administration has called on Chicago and other cities with large numbers of uninsured to increase their outreach to help people gain coverage. Nearly 10 million consumers paid for insurance plans bought on federal and state health care exchanges by the end of June. More than 80 percent were receiving a tax credit to help pay for their monthly premiums.
In Illinois, more than 300,000 are enrolled in marketplace plans. But that represents only about one-third of those eligible for insurance under Obamacare. In the Chicago area about 175,000 people are uninsured but eligible for insurance.
Jarrett acknowledged that cities and the administration have their work cut out for them to increase insurance coverage. She asked Lucas and other consumers at the clinic what can be done to get the uninsured to enroll. Komed has enrollment specialists to help patients sign up for insurance.
Lucas said her counselor, Cedric Rowland, was a big help. She suggested that having enrollment specialists available on weekends and evenings to accommodate working parents is critical.
"I'm so thankful for him," she said.
asachdev@tribpub.com
