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ACA Enrollment Is Now Open. What Do San Antonians Need To Know?

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Many in need of health insurance coverage in the United States may not know that now is the time to enroll.

Multiple attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in Congress, as well as recent changes to subsidies and policy structure, have led to confusion in an already tedious enrollment process.

The Trump administration cut the Affordable Care Act's 2017 fall enrollment period in half, from 12 weeks to six weeks – November 1 to December 15. 

The budget for promoting open enrollment was also downsized by 90 percent, from $100,000 million last year to about $10 million in 2017. This leaves insurers, organizations and "navigators"with more responsibility to get the word out.

Approximately 120,000 people in Bexar County are currently enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans and may need to reapply or update their information. Plans do not roll over year to year unless individual action is taken.

What are the pros and cons of getting healthcare through the Affordable Care Act marketplace? What are the first steps to sign up for coverage in San Antonio?

For more information on local enrollment efforts, call 210-977-7997 or click here.

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This is a community conversation and we want to hear from you. Leave a voicemail with your questions and comments in advance by calling 210-615-8982. During the live show (12-1 p.m.), call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.

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Jan Ross Piedad Sakian is TPR’s News Operations Producer. In this role, she develops strategy on collaborative and digital initiatives for the station. Since 2016, Jan Ross has served in a coordinating capacity for TPR’s state and national partners, including The Texas Newsroom.