Local organizations aid navigation of Affordable Care Act enrollment
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
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Resources for Human Development staff members monitor the sign in desk at the Brandywine Health Foundation building.
COATESVILLE – The Brandywine Health Foundation assisted in signing up 38 people for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act at an enrollment event Tuesday afternoon — adding to the total of more than 4.2 million who have signed up nationally.
Held on the fourth floor of their building and sponsored by St. Paul’s Baptist Church, the event saw staff from the Brandywine Health Foundation, the Brandywine Center, the Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County, ChesPenn Health Services, and Resources for Human Development gather to assist individuals and families from the area in registering for health insurance.
Staff members called ‘navigators’ helped people fill out documents, clarified questions for them, and checked for available subsidies.
“Nobody understands insurance,” joked navigator Emily Lennon. “I think I’ve met with a whole lot of people who would not have gone through the process if they did not have somebody they could turn to.”
Lennon said that enrollment questions can be confusing even for people who are familiar with the system and have had insurance their entire lives.
Denise James, the Brandywine Health Foundation board member and St. Paul’s member who organized the event said that many people who showed up did not speak English and were intimidated by enrollment forms. Others assumed they could not afford insurance.
“There’s so many people here [in Coatesville] who don’t have health insurance. They don’t think that there’s anything for them, so they don’t know about the programs,” said James, who also said that she is saving over $500 per month through the Affordable Care Act.
James said that a church service originally compelled her to organize the event. Her pastor asked people of the congregation who could not afford insurance to step forward. Other members of the congregation then volunteered to assist those who stepped forward, pushing her to help ensure that everyone in the community has access to health insurance.
She also said that some of those who enrolled at the event did so for as little as $0.20 a month.
Loretta Saah, a Nigerian immigrant and Coatesville resident said that she was previously uninsured. After making efforts to get insurance, including a two hour phone call that eventually resulted in the company telling her that she was not eligible, Saah said that she came to Tuesday’s event so that she knew she could register on the spot.
Resources for Human Development will be participating in more of these events up to the March 31 deadline for enrollment. Times and locations can be found at acafinancialhelp.com.
