TUCSON, Ariz. -- It was originally nicknamed "Obamacare."
But a lot of people are now calling it "Bidencare," because President Joe Biden has reopened the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help Arizonans and others who lost health insurance during the pandemic.
Registration for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace is now available through May 15.
Health-care experts estimate 85% of eligible applicants will qualify for financial assistance with their premiums, and many also will qualify for help with deductibles and co-pays.
Allen Gjerfvig, director of navigator and enrollment services for Cover Arizona, said the Biden administration is restoring a key part of the program to publicize the special enrollment period.
"The new administration is going to put $50 million into marketing and advertising to help people understand that they have an opportunity if they're uninsured to get covered," Gjerfvig explained.
The Trump administration tried but failed to eliminate the ACA, although it did cut funding for key parts of the plan, including money for information and registration assistance.
Biden promised during the 2020 campaign to expand and improve the program.
Gjerfvig noted at the start of 2020, about 1 in 10 Arizonans did not have health insurance, and job losses caused by the pandemic may have increased that number.
He added people who need coverage should go online and shop around.
"There are thousands of people in Arizona that could get a free Bronze plan," Gjerfvig pointed out. "Their financial assistance for the premium would be 100% covered and they would also be receiving help to reduce those out-of-pocket expenses."
Gjerfvig emphasized his group, Cover Arizona, is geared up to assist Arizonans during the special enrollment period, and as they say, operators are standing by.
"We also hold the only health-insurance navigator grant in the state," Gjerfvig stressed. "We work with 180 different sites through our community health centers that all have certified application counselors."
You can enroll directly with the Health Insurance Marketplace directly at healthcare.gov. If you need assistance, contact Cover Arizona and talk with a volunteer, or if you prefer, set up a face-to-face meeting.
Call 800-377-3536 or go to CoverAZ.org.
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Health-care advocates are vowing to continue their fight to expand Medicaid in Kansas - despite this week's election, which expanded the Republican supermajority.
Gov. Laura Kelly, D-Kansas, supports expanding the program to more low-income families under the Affordable Care Act - but conservative lawmakers passed a law forbidding the move.
April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, is among those calling for change.
"I think the bottom line is we have really been focused on building a grassroots movement that is too large and too loud for policymakers to ignore, and that's what we're going to continue to do, even with the most recent election results," she said.
Data from the Kansas Department of Public Health shows a maternal mortality rate of 11 deaths per every 100,000 live births. The agency found 13 maternal deaths from 2016 to 2018 and found all but one were preventable. And two-thirds of mothers were racial and ethnic minorities.
Holman noted that more than 14% of babies born to Black mothers in Kansas have low birth weights, and Black mothers are 200% more likely to have a low-birthweight baby.
"We think that in part that has to do with access to affordable health care, not only later in their pregnancy but also at the beginning and even pre-pregnancy," Holman continued.
The Kansas Health Institute estimates that almost 152,000 Kansans - including more than 45,000 children - would enroll in KanCare if Medicaid were to be expanded.
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Amid a nationwide shortage of respiratory therapists, an "earn while you learn" initiative is underway to build a skilled workforce in Virginia to meet growing respiratory care demands.
Sentara Health and Tidewater Community College have launched a respiratory therapy apprenticeship program, which covers educational expenses of nearly $18,000 over two years, while providing hands-on experience at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Kristian Vasconcellos, one of the program's first apprentices, likes the linking of the classroom to the workspace.
"You know, us cleaning the vents or cleaning the machines or the equipment, I do get that experience of being in school and saying, 'Oh my gosh, I know what that is, I know how this works,'" Vasconcellos explained.
Students spend 32 hours each week in academic and clinical training and an additional eight hours working at the hospital, where they encounter a range of real-world medical situations involving asthma, sleep apnea and others. Industry experts have noted a growing need for respiratory therapists, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to increased worker burnout and hospital staffing shortages.
Tara Almony, manager of respiratory care and pulmonary diagnostics at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, expressed enthusiasm about the program's potential to ease the staffing shortage and prepare students for the realities of the job.
"We were looking and thinking outside the box of how we could be creative and how to bring respiratory therapists in, help them," Almony outlined. "Then also, how we as a Norfolk General could help them grow and kind of create a pipeline for ourselves in a way. "
The demand for respiratory therapists has surged, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 14% increase in job openings by 2031. The median annual salary for a respiratory therapist is currently $77,960.
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A Wyoming helpline connects callers to a variety of health and human services, including help with health insurance during open enrollment.
Olivia Schon, deputy director of Wyoming 211, said the service fields 20 to 30 calls a day. Specialists then connect callers with appropriate resources from a database of nearly 3,000 options, ranging from small nonprofits to state and federal programs.
Schon pointed out the top issues people call about are rent and utility payment assistance programs, food insecurity and transportation to health providers. She noted initial conversations often unveil more areas in which the caller can use assistance.
"We average four times the amount of referrals going out based on phone calls coming in," Schon reported. "They call with what their first issue is and then they leave with more than one solution to other problems that they also have going on."
When callers need assistance enrolling in health insurance, they're connected with Wyoming 211's "sister program," Enroll Wyoming. Open enrollment starts Friday.
The rate of health insurance enrollment in Wyoming through the marketplace has increased 75% since 2020, according to KFF. In a round of federal funding announced in September for health insurance navigators, Enroll Wyoming received a $1.5 million grant to continue offering its services for free.
Caleb Smith, marketing director for Enroll Wyoming, said making important decisions around health care can be intimidating.
"It doesn't hurt to have somebody who's on your side," Smith explained. "Who's willing to act as an advocate for you to make sure that you have your questions answered, that you have what you feel like you need to be able to make an informed, empowered decision."
Wyoming 211 is available by dialing 211 from any phone in the state.
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