CLIFTON, NJ – Highlights successes of federal healthcare reform at the beginning of third open enrollment period [November 10, 2015]

Today, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, attended the grand opening of the Affordable Care Act Enrollment Assistance Center for Passaic County. Marking the beginning of the third open enrollment period since passage of the law, the congressman was joined at the event by U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Region II Director Jackie Cornell-Bechelli and Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi.

"Nationally, 17.6 million Americans have newly obtained health insurance since 2013. We have seen the U.S.’s uninsured rate continue to decline, reaching all-time lows. Last year, New Jersey’s uninsurance rate was cut in half thanks to the ACA. We are here today to keep the progress going and help New Jersey families stay healthy," stated Rep. Pascrell. “In New Jersey, we are lucky to have great people and great organizations that are working hard to enroll our residents, and I encourage local residents to check out the exchange marketplace or visit the enrollment center to see what options are available to them."

Last year 194,000 people in New Jersey signed up for health insurance through the exchange, and more than 80 percent are eligible for tax credits to help off-set their premiums. Additionally, 475,000 New Jerseyans enrolled in Medicaid.

The grand opening event gave community leaders, small business owners, and New Jersey residents the opportunity to learn more about signing up for first time coverage or re-enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Enrollment specialists are available at the center to provide one-on-one assistance to those seeking to enroll in a 2016 qualified health plan.

At enrollment centers operated for the federal government by SRA International, individuals and families can meet for free with trained enrollment specialists to review their coverage options, find out if they qualify for financial assistance, and sign up or re-enroll in a plan that meets their needs. Free and confidential in-person enrollment assistance is available from now through the end of January. Appointments can be made by calling the center or visiting its Facebook page - www.facebook.com/EnrollNorthernNJ.

Located at 1006 Route 46 in a shopping center at the busy intersection of Route 46 West and Van Houten Avenue, the hours of the enrollment center are as follows:

Hours:

Monday: 10am-6pm

Tuesday: 10am-8pm

Wednesday through Saturday: 10am-6pm

Closed Sunday

Address:

1006 Route 46

Clifton, NJ 07013

Phone Number:

(201) 414-0465

People who plan to enroll in coverage at the centers are encouraged to bring the following items:

• Information about your household: names, mailing addresses, social security numbers or immigration documents for everyone in your household that plans to apply for coverage.
• Employer and income information for every member of your household. This information will be used to help determine if you qualify for financial help.  Such documents include recent pay stubs or W-2 forms.
• Information about current insurance. If you have existing coverage, bring along policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of your household.

According to an Enroll America study, those who have in-person assistance are 50 percent more likely to successfully complete the enrollment process. According to surveys commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, six in ten uninsured are confused or do not know about the tax credits available to help reduce monthly premium costs. Seventy-one percent of the uninsured want one-on-one help to find the best coverage and enroll through the Marketplace.

Last week HHS released a new study that found more than seven in ten current Marketplace enrollees, with applicable tax credits, could find plans with premiums of $75 or less per month, and almost eight in ten could find plans with premiums of $100 or less a month. More than eight in ten current enrollees can find a lower premium in the same “metal” level, before tax credits, by comparison shopping in the Marketplace. In 2015, consumers who switched plans, within the same metal level, saved nearly $400 annually relative to what they would have paid if they had remained in the same plan they had in 2014.

SRA’s three New Jersey enrollment centers have professionally trained and federally certified in-person assisters who can provide assistance in ten languages at the Passaic EAC (i.e., English, Arabic, Bengali, Czech, French/Creole, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Slovakian, and Spanish). The enrollment specialists are knowledgeable about the range of health plans available on HealthCare.gov as well as other public health insurance programs offered in New Jersey, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

As a member of the exclusive Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, Rep. Pascrell helped author the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to help 32 million uninsured Americans afford health insurance.  To enroll in the new Health Insurance Marketplace or for more information, please visit www.healthcare.gov or call the ACA Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.