In Conversation with Foundation Communities: Top 5 Things to Know About the Affordable Care Act

Time is running out to get high quality, affordable health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2022. Open Enrollment runs through Saturday, January 15, 2022. The Affordable Care Act has moved the needle in getting Texans the health coverage they need, but external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the grim forecasts of uninsured rates in Texas, putting millions of Texans at risk—especially those already disproportionately impacted by systemic barriers to care.

If you’re interested in learning more about the impact that access to health insurance has in shaping an equitable future for Central Texas, head to our Instagram to watch a recording of a conversation between Amy Einhorn, Senior Program Officer at St. David’s Foundation and Aaron DeLaO, Director of Health Initiatives at Foundation Communities.

Don’t have time to watch? Here are the top five things you need to know:

1) More than 2.5 million Texans are eligible for health insurance under ACA.

2) Open enrollment is for people who don’t have health coverage through employment and/or government programs such as Medicare. They can sign up for high quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace—also referred to as the “exchange.” Enroll here.

3) Those without health insurance have extremely limited options for getting health care, which contributes to even more societal inequities. For example, easily treated health conditions may go unchecked, causing people to miss school or work leading to lost education and employment opportunities.

4) There are significant racial disparities in Texas when it comes to health coverage. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Black and Hispanic communities—the same communities hit hardest by the pandemic—have the highest uninsured rates.

5) Texas is 1 of 12 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid, leaving about 1 million Texans without any affordable health coverage options.

Ready to Enroll? Access Free Enrollment Assistance in Central Texas

Our partner Foundation Communities offers free ACA enrollment assistance, provided safely and conveniently by phone. This year, they’ve expanded outreach outside of Austin to a 12-county area of Central Texas. To get started today, visit ProsperHealthCoverage.org or call the Prosper Health Coverage help line at (512) 381-4520 to ask questions or schedule an appointment. Multiple languages supported, and all outreach and navigation support services material are available in English and Spanish. Foundation Communities also offers enrollment assistance year-round for those who have experienced a qualifying life event.

Additional information and resources are also available here: https://stdavidsfoundation.org/empowering-the-uninsured/