With March 31 deadline looming, Security Health Plan hopes to reach the uninsured and those about to lose coverage
CONTACT: Rebecca Normington, 715-221-9726, normington.rebecca@
MARSHFIELD – Security Health Plan of Wisconsin Inc., is reaching out to the uninsured and those who will lose coverage at the end of March, to help them get health insurance and avoid tax penalties.
The open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act is slated to end March 31. With only a few exceptions, anyone who does not have health insurance could be subject to potential tax penalties.
Approximately 25,000 residents of western, northern and central Wisconsin will have their coverage end March 31, because of the elimination of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) and eligibility changes to BadgerCare Plus. Meanwhile, about 60,000 residents of this same area have no insurance coverage. This means that about 85,000 area residents could be facing tax penalties.
“Our aim is to provide access to high-quality health care, and we want to let those people who either don’t have insurance, or are losing their coverage, know we can help them,” said Security Health Plan Chief Marketing Officer John Kelly. “We’re holding enrollment fairs right up to the sign-up deadline, and we’re inviting people to contact us by phone or in person to enroll in coverage. We can help them enroll through the Health Insurance Marketplace.”
Since enrollment began in October 2013, approximately 15,000 Wisconsinites have purchased Security Health Plan coverage that complies with the Affordable Care Act.
“A report we received earlier this week shows that about one-fifth of all the people in Wisconsin who have purchased ACA-compliant coverage have done so with Security Health Plan,” Kelly said. “We are the number-one selling insurance plan in our part of Wisconsin.”
For residents who have been covered through HIRSP or BadgerCare Plus, it’s important they sign-up by March 15 to ensure coverage on April 1. People who enroll after March 15 will not have effective coverage until May 1.
The next open enrollment period won’t begin until Nov. 15.
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