Friday, June 19, 2015

Father's Day Gift? Get Covered


ATLANTA, GA (PR) – In celebration of Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day, Get Covered America wants the XY chromosome community in Georgia to know all the ways they can take care of their health this summer. Whether you plan on coaching your kid’s soccer team, hiking the Sweetwater Creek State Park, playing ball with the boys, or simply staying home and reclaiming your man-cave, you should also consider making the appointment for your not-so-annual yearly visit to the doctor.


To keep their whole health in check, Georgia men should know these five things about the Affordable Care Act to keep themselves healthy and safe at any age:

PLANS PROVIDE FREE PREVENTIVE SERVICES. Everybody knows most men don’t like going to the doctor but who doesn’t like free stuff? Now thanks to the Affordable Care Act you can get your annual checkup at no charge just to prove that you’re as healthy as you always knew you were! You can also get blood pressure screenings, diet counseling, and help for quitting smoking, among other services – completely free. Even the treadmill at the gym says it – “Consult with your physician before using this machine.” Well, this is your opportunity!

PLANS MUST OFFER ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS. You’re adventurous and perhaps this summer you will try a new workout routine or fix an old cabinet at home. Even if you’re careful, you never know what could happen. Thankfully, new health plans must cover ten essential health benefits including emergency services, hospitalization, and prescription drugs. So if you do end up in the ER while rock climbing or cleaning the gutter, you know you’ll be covered.

PLANS PROVIDE KEY PROTECTIONS. Pre-existing conditions like diabetes or a heart condition can no longer make you ineligible to get health coverage. In addition, health insurance companies are generally required to spend at least 80% of the money they take in on premiums for your health care and quality improvement activities instead of administrative costs. If your insurance company doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll get a rebate.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO HELP MAKE PLANS AFFORDABLE. Most Georgians are eligible to receive financial assistance to help pay for their premiums. In fact, during the last enrollment period, 91% of Georgians who signed up for a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace received help paying for their health insurance, significantly lowering their monthly premium. Quality and affordability: now that’s a great deal that cannot be passed.

FREE, ONE-ON-ONE ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE. Want to sit down with an expert who can walk you through your health insurance options and help you pick a plan? Georgians can now visit the Get Covered Connector at getcoveredamerica.org/connector to see where free, local enrollment assistance is available in their area and schedule an appointment.

Even though open enrollment doesn’t begin again until the fall, if you experience a life-changing event - moving to a new residence, losing your current health plan, gaining citizenship, leaving incarceration, having a baby, getting married, and others - you may have 60 days from the day the life-changing event occurs to enroll during a special enrollment period.

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