A recent change in health care laws will keep Rhonda Culp and Greta Ingle busier than ever for the next 10 weeks.
Culp and Ingle are certified health care Navigators tasked with helping clients re-enroll in Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurance plans for 2023.
The enrollment period began Tuesday and will run through Jan. 15.
This is the second consecutive year the enrollment period has extended past New Year’s Day, an important factor for Kansans who may not know until Dec. 31 their income level for the past year.
“We get a lot of farmers who wait until the last minute because they’re not sure of their projected income,” explained Culp, director of care coordination at Thrive Allen County.
The only catch for waiting until Jan. 15 is the new plans won’t go online until Feb. 1. For those who want uninterrupted coverage on Jan. 1, they must enroll by Dec. 15, Culp explained.
With that in mind, Culp and Ingle have extended their hours to 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at Thrive’s office at 9 S. Jefferson Ave. in Iola. They’re also open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays.
“We’re really trying to be more flexible for those who may not be able to get away from work during normal business hours,” Culp said.
Working with Culp and Ingle is Casey Godinez, a certified Assister with Thrive.
An Assister offers the same expertise as does a Navigator, Ingle said. “The only difference is the way it’s named.”
ASSISTING those seeking Marketplace coverage is nothing new at Thrive, which has done so since 2013.
But a recent change, taking effect less than a month ago, was an IRS ruling that addresses what became known as a “family glitch,” through ACA.
It will adjust eligibility when considering the cost of family plans compared to single-employee plans. Subsidies will help families cover the additional cost.
In years past, many families found themselves unable to afford family plans through the Marketplace, explained Ingle, lead care coordinator at Thrive.
“Before, if an employee had a plan that was affordable for the single employee, it was considered affordable for the whole family, even if the family plans were considerably more expensive,” Ingle said.
