Deadline Looms For Enrolling In Health Plan Under Affordable Care Act
DETROIT (WWJ) - It's a weekend of work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan call center workers. The group is working through the weekend and Monday to help people who have questions about the Affordable Care Act, or what some people call Obamacare.
Monday is the deadline for citizens to select health care plans.
Terry Burke, vice president for individual business at BCBSM, said people have a lot of questions and are spending a lot of time on the phone with Health Plan Advisors.
"With call volumes increasing, we want people to know that Blue Cross is taking steps to keep wait times as low as possible," Burke said in a statement. "Our goal is to provide people with resources to help them expedite their enrollment and make the most informed decisions about their coverage."
Advisors will be available through the weekend from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to enroll consumers in ACA-compliant plans. Consumers can call 855-237-3501 to speak to a licensed health plan advisor. People also can enroll in an ACA-compliant plan directly by visiting www.bcbsm.com/myblue, or can elect to work with licensed agents in Michigan who can assist with enrollment.
There are steps people can take to expedite the process of enrolling, prior to calling a licensed Blue Cross health plan advisor:
• Create a Healthcare.gov account: Create an account on healthcare.gov is a critical first step in the process. It will reduce enrollment time while on the phone with a Blue Cross HPA.
• Check subsidy eligibility: Determining subsidy eligibility is a good second step. Michigan residents can use mobile phones to text "4Subsidy" to 222-752. Having an estimated subsidy can help people choose the right health plan premium and discuss options with a health plan advisor.
• Do research online: BCBSM's corporate blog, MiBluesPerspectives.com, has answers to frequently asked questions about the ACA. BCBSM's consumer information site, HealthCareReformBasics.com, is an interactive guide to the ACA.
BCBSM is the only health insurance company to offer ACA-compliant health plans in all 83 Michigan counties. For more information, visit www.bcbsm.com.
