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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Take Care Utah Wins Federal Grant


For a second year the Take Care Utah (TCU) network of health insurance enrollment experts received a competitive grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer free insurance enrollment assistance to thousands of Utah consumers.


This grant will enable Take Care Utah to continue to offer one-on-one assistance to help Utahns learn about and sign up for qualit
y, affordable health insurance.

The Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP), along with its lead community partners, the Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH) and United Way of Salt Lake 2-1-1, were awarded the competitive grant from HHS to be the non-profit, community-based navigator in the state of Utah during the 2014/15 enrollment period.

The three Utah nonprofits will receive approximately $485,198, part of Utah’s share of the $60 million made available to fund navigator programs around the nation. Take Care Utah received a $406,000 grant in 2013 to cover the first enrollment period, which saw 84,601 Utahns sign up for new private insurance.

"We know that signing up for health insurance isn’t easy," said Matt Slonaker Executive Director of UHPP. "Now with a year of experience under their belts, the enrollment experts at Take Care Utah are ready again to help Utahns bring home the health insurance coverage they need."

The three lead partners will team up with multiple organizations around the state to help enroll underinsured and uninsured residents in new coverage. Participating organizations include the National Tongan American Society, Alliance Community Services, Communidades Unidas, and Community Health Connect, in addition to the state’s 40 not-for-profit Health Centers.

Navigators are trained to help others apply for health insurance and understand the new options that will be made available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Because health insurance is now more accessible and affordable for Utah residents, the navigator program was developed at the community level to help people throughout the state fill out applications, apply for tax credits, and understand their new benefits.

Take Care Utah's navigators will be ready to help Utahns find coverage when the insurance marketplace at heathcare.gov opens on November 15, 2014.  "We are looking forward to helping more Utahns find health insurance that fits their budget," said Randal Serr, TCU's Director. "We have partnered with some fantastic organizations that enjoy the high level of trust in their communities to get the job done.”

If you or your organization would like to join this effort to enroll more Utahns in health insurance, or if you would like to know where to refer others, contact Randal Serr, via email, or by phone, at 801-433-2299, x. 4
 
       Highlights from Utah’s First Enrollment Period (10/1/13 – 3/31/14)
• 84,601 Utahns signed up for new coverage on healthcare.gov
• Six private insurance companies offered a total of 91 plans on Utah’s marketplace
• Take Care Utah staff assisted more than 49,000 Utah consumers seeking health coverage
• 87% of Utahns enrolling in new insurance received premium subsidies
• 65% of Utahns received $50 or more in monthly subsidies to purchase insurance
• 33% of Utahns enrolling in new coverage were ages 18-34, the highest in the nation

About Take Care Utah
Take Care Utah is a partnership between the Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH), the Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP), and the United Way 2-1-1. We offer outreach and enrollment assistance to Utah residents across the state. Learn more at www.takecareutah.org


Resources:
Take Care Utah website (html)
Utah Report for 2013/14 ACA Open Enrollment (pdf) (video)
Complete list of 2014 Navigator grant recipients (pdf)


 

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