ANNAPOLIS, Maryland – The open enrollment period for Maryland Health Insurance runs until January 15, and whether you are younger or older, additional financial assistance is available, through a new state law and US bailout.
This year, Maryland enacted Senate Bill 729, establishing a pilot program to lower the costs of health insurance coverage for young adults, ages 18 to 34.
Stephanie Klapper, deputy director of the Maryland Citizen’s Health Initiative, said some people may be eligible for a plan for as little as a dollar a month, depending on their income and the size of their household.
“Even if you’ve looked for health coverage before, it’s worth coming back to Maryland Health Connection as savings are now available for those 18 to 34,†Klapper explained. “And thanks to the US bailout, there is new help for households at all income levels, even for people between the ages of 18 and 34.”
She said nine in 10 Marylanders who sign up for health coverage through Maryland Health Connection get financial help to pay for their plan. Look online at marylandhealthconnection.gov for more information.
Tammy Bresnahan, associate director of advocacy for AARP Maryland, urged the parents of these young adults to enroll and let their friends and relatives know about the cost reduction options.
She stressed that coverage is particularly important now, as the pandemic continues, as many people over the age of 50, especially women, have lost their jobs and the health insurance that came with them.
“This block of 50 to 64 years, they have problems to return to work, to find a job with health insurance,†observed Bresnahan. “So open enrollment also helps them acquire health insurance because they are the most at risk. “
She noted that all plans through Health Connection cover doctor visits, prescriptions, mental health services and more. You must register before December 31 to be covered in the New Year. If you wait to enroll in January, your coverage begins February 1, 2022.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – With Ohioans still having plenty of time to purchase holiday gifts, the deadline to purchase health insurance in the federal insurance market has arrived. People needing coverage starting January 1 should select a plan and register by midnight tonight.
Liz Thuranira, local organizer and Southwestern story collector for Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN) Ohio, works as a navigator – people available to help others select and sign up for a plan. She said cost and affordability issues are common concerns, but explained that health insurance doesn’t have to be expensive.
“The majority of people who apply for Marketplace programs qualify for a greatly reduced tax credit,†she said, “and people are generally shocked at how much money they can save on their own. premium”.
Open enrollment actually runs until January 15, but for plans purchased after today, coverage does not begin until February 1. The Healthcare.gov website also offers 24/7 phone support.
About 200,000 Ohioans were signed up for market plans for 2021. Thuranira said this was an important option for anyone who does not have employer-sponsored coverage or who does not. is not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. She shared that a colleague recently helped a mother of two find coverage after years without health insurance.
“Hearing the relief in his voice, knowing that they are now covered and that they can now receive basic care – like wellness visits and vaccinations – is so heartwarming,†she said.
About half of Ohioans with health insurance are covered by their employer. Since the start of enrollment in November, 4.6 million Americans have purchased coverage, including more than 900,000 new customers.
Disclosure: Universal Healthcare Action Network of Ohio contributes to our fund for reporting on consumer issues, health issues, human rights / racial justice and social justice. If you would like to help support the news in the public interest, click here.
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SEATTLE – New report provides health check for people in Washington and across the country.
The United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings assesses physical, mental and social well-being and gives Washington State generally high marks.
Dr Ravi Johar, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase in the number of deaths between 2019 and 2020 nationwide.
“We had a 17% increase in the death rate, and that 17% doesn’t even reflect certain populations,†Johar reported. “We know Hispanics and African Americans, the death rate was even higher than that.”
The report says the pandemic contributed 70% of the increase in the death rate. While Washington state received high marks for its low rate of premature deaths and its percentage of low birth weight infants, it also continued to do worse than the national average in areas like the suicide rate. .
Until 2019, Washington state also had a higher suicide rate among young people between the ages of 15 and 19.
Matt Kanter, director of programs, education and outreach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Washington, said suicide-related services are mostly responsive.
“It’s a really sad story. Someone commits suicide, a community is affected, then services start,†Kanter observed. “The more proactively we engage communities, the more you’ll see that these incidents won’t even happen.”
Kanter stressed that it is also important for services to be culturally relevant to the young people they serve, noting that the suicide rate is particularly high in indigenous communities across the country.
Johar added that mental well-being is an important aspect of health.
“Being able to have a support system, talk to friends, and find a way to be socially active really, really makes a big difference to your mental well-being,†Johar advised. “And we know that mental well-being has a huge effect on physical well-being as well.”
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SACRAMENTO, Calif .– A case that could put so-called “death doulas” out of business is heard this week before a federal judge in Sacramento.
Death Doulas emotionally support families through the process of losing a loved one, educating people about their options, and sometimes washing and dressing the body and attending home funerals or green burials. The state wants to force them to obtain a funeral director’s license.
Jess Pezley, staff attorney for the nonprofit Compassion and Choices, which filed an amicus case to join the case, said the license would require the doulas to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a funeral home equipped to embalm and store bodies.
“They don’t embalm. They don’t transport the body. They don’t provide crematorium services,†Pezley said. “And they’re not doing anything that might put themselves or others at risk from blood-borne viruses, things like that.”
Two years ago, the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau ordered Full Circle of Living and Dying doulas in Nevada County to become licensed funeral directors or to cease operations. The doulas filed a lawsuit and a preliminary injunction allowed them to stay in business. The office declined to comment.
Pezley noted that the state’s order was spurred by an anonymous complaint.
“It would make sense if it was someone in the conventional funeral industry who had this financial interest in dissuading people from home burial or green burial,” Pezley argued.
Meagan Williams, a death doula and senior media associate at Compassion and Choices, said if doulas were to become funeral directors, it would effectively close the field and rob families of an important option.
“Doulas can bring comfort and peace,†said Williams. “Knowing that they are not alone, knowing that there is someone who is educated who understands the process, understands what to expect and can help them plan.”
This week, both sides are seeking summary judgment and a ruling is expected early next year.
Disclosure: Compassion and Choices contributes to our reporting fund on civic engagement, health issues, senior issues and social justice. If you would like to help support the news in the public interest, click here.
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