by Brian Wolfman
Some parts of the Affordable Care Act are already in place, such as the requirement that uninsured kids up to age 26 be offered insurance on their parents' health insurane policies. But key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the so-called individual mandate, don't go into effect until January 2014. The mandate is not really a mandate; uninsured people can either sign up or pay a small tax instead. But backers of the law, who favor universal coverage, want uninsured people to sign up. The millions of uninsured individuals can begin applying for coverage in October of this year. Depending on the individual's state of residence, there will be various insurance options, and people deemed unable to afford full coverage (but not poor enough to be Medicaid-eligible) will receive subsidies to help with the premiums.
This article by Sandya Somashekhar describes an unprecedented effort by a non-profit group called Enroll America to encourage uninsured individuals to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Enroll America is going door-to-door to try to make that happen. The article describes in particular the group's effort in Florida in which potential enrollees are being visited in-person by Enroll Ameria volunteers as many as 7 or 8 times. Worth reading.
