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Health Care Act Enrollment Begins for Central New Yorkers

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Central New Yorkers will be among 2.4 million residents statewide who can start enrolling for some form of financial help as parts of the Affordable Healthcare Act kick in. Beginning October 1, 2013 individuals are able to enroll and secure financial benefits, which begin at the start of 2014.

Ron Pollack, with Families USA, says most will be eligible for financial help:
 

According to Pollack, Medicaid will expand up to 138% above the federal poverty level, while those up to 400% above the poverty level will be eligible for substantial subsidies. Families USA has posted a detailed release about the Affordable Healthcare Act, which includes a link to the state healthcare website's list of organizations available to help people with the enrollment process.

In the private sector of insurance companies, Rochester-area Congressmember Louise Slaughter says, lower premium prices will be seen due to the rising competition:

“Seventeen insurance companies at my last count had signed up to bid for business in the exchanges. That alone, that competition, is causing a great drop in the insurance policy costs.”

She has defended the controversial law, and says it’s an effort to make health care more accessible:

“We did not go into this because we wanted to aggravate the United States. It had to do with the cost of healthcare. None of us intended to have rocks thrown through our district offices, as I did, or our families threatened. But I do think that this has a great start.”

While most New Yorkers are eligible for the help, many are still unaware of it.  The coverage will kick in starting January 1, 2014.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.