Spectrum Health Hosts Free Health Care Open Enrollment Events

This is the time of year when Americans are asked to make decisions about their health care coverage, as required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Individuals not covered by an employer or any other means are able to select their health insurance through the Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace. The open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace is from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016.

Not all health insurance plans are the same and multiple plans are available on the market. The plans differ by coverage level, provider network and in many other ways – making it hard for people to decide which plan is the right one for them and their family. This can be particularly challenging for those individuals who are choosing a health care plan for the first time or who have experienced changes in their lives that could impact their decision, like employment, marriage or births.

In an effort to sort through the confusion, Spectrum Health will host free informational open houses throughout West Michigan in November and December. The open houses will offer people the chance to learn more about the Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace before they enroll for next year.

At the Spectrum Health open houses, financial counselors will be on hand to answer questions about:

Health insurance basics
The Affordable Care Act
Open enrollment
The Exchange Marketplace

Spectrum Health’s financial counselors are ACA-Certified Application Counselors. They will be able to provide individuals with the information needed to help them make an informed decision about health plans that best meet their needs.

A scheduled of the open houses is available at www.spectrumhealth.org/openenrollment. Individuals are encouraged to bring the following information with them to the open houses:

Birthdays of all household members
Estimated 2016 income
If previously enrolled, their username and password
Employer information – name, address, phone number

People who are unable to attend any of these free events are able to schedule an appointment with a financial counselor near them to discuss available options. To schedule an appointment or for more information, visit www.spectrumhealth.org/openenrollment.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 183 ambulatory and service sites; more than 3,100 physicians and advanced practice providers, including 1,200 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with about 654,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 23,400 employees. The organization provided $283 million in community benefit during its 2015 fiscal year. Spectrum Health is the only health system in Michigan to be named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Truven Health Analytics for 2015. This is the fourth time the organization has received this recognition. spectrumhealth.org