DES MOINES, IOWA (October 29, 2024) — Iowans have an opportunity to enroll in health insurance for 2025 during the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment which starts this Friday, November 1, and goes through January 15, 2025.
Anyone who is not eligible for insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, or employer-based insurance may be eligible to purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage provisions. Iowa Navigator assists people with the process of selecting a plan and applying for financial assistance that helps people pay for their monthly premium. About 90% of those who enroll receive subsidies to make the insurance more affordable. New rules have increased subsidies and made it possible for even most high-income earners to qualify for the lower-cost plans. National trends show that about four in five people across the country could get a plan for less than $10 per month.
Iowa Navigator is a federally-funded non-profit organization that helps families and other underserved communities gain access to health-coverage options through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP (HAWKI). They can assist with enrollment applications and help consumers apply for financial assistance through HealthCare.gov. In 2019, First Choice Services, a non-profit agency headquartered in West Virginia, applied and were awarded funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand its operations so that it could help Iowa residents. From 2019 through this August of 2024, the IA Navigator program offered only virtual or phone assistance.
For this Open Enrollment period, IA Navigator has received its highest-ever funding award. CMS recently announced that the organization would receive $1.25 million per year for the next five years. This increase has allowed the program to hire eight Navigators in Iowa who will work across the state in three offices based in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City. This expansion will allow for in-person enrollment assistance by Navigators to be offered for the first time since 2018.
Jeremy Smith, program director for IA Navigator, says getting help signing up is essential. Many people are overwhelmed by the options or may not realize how to shop for affordable health coverage. Smith says that the increase in funding has really helped the program expand and get the word out about the Marketplace. “This historic increase in funding for our program will help us provide even more assistance to Iowans and will allow us to increase our presence in communities throughout the state.” Smith says. “Our Navigators will be working hard throughout the year to help get the word out to people about the benefits of the Health Insurance Marketplace. We are excited to see how this year goes and help get the insured rate down.”
It is important that Iowans pay attention to Open Enrollment deadlines. For January 1st coverage, sign-up must be completed between November 1 and December 15. Open Enrollment will completely end on January 15. People who already have a plan and need to re-enroll are encouraged to double-check the network and prescription-drug coverage for any changes and update their information in case they qualify for additional cost savings. The IA Navigator program is available for free in-person or telephone assistance. Call 515-978-9570 or visit iowanavigator.com to book an in-person or phone appointment for free assistance.
This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,250,000 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the US Government.
