October 16, 2013
For Immediate Release
Community Readies For The Affordable Care Act
Benton, KY -- Open enrollment for kynect, Kentucky’s new health insurance marketplace, began on October 1, but there are still a lot of questions about what it is, who qualifies, and how to apply. On Wednesday, October 16, the Marshall County Public Library gathered a panel of experts to address those questions.
“The Affordable Care Act is a major change in how we access health care in America,” says Ginger Russell, Adult Services Librarian for the Marshall County Public Library. “There is a lot of information floating aroun, but you don’t always know who to trust or where to get answers. Our Lunch and Learn session was organized to help the people in our community get the facts they need.”
The panel included Temple Hill and Jackie Eubanks of West Kentucky Allied Services, Crystal Reid of Western Rivers Insurance, Robert Goff of Denton & Keuler Law Firm, and Deborah Blakenship of Life Associates. Each panel member leant his or her expertise on the subject of the Affordable Care Act to a discussion that included an opportunity for audience members to ask questions. Hill and Eubanks, both of whom work as kynectors, were on-hand after the event to help people begin the enrollment process.
According to Eubanks, there are several pieces of information you need before beginning the enrollment process. A picture ID, social security numbers and birth dates of all members of your household, policy numbers and contact persons of the insurance plan provided by your employer (if there is one), and income tax information from the previous year as well as what you anticipate to have on this year’s income taxes are all needed to complete the enrollment process.
In Marshall County there are several avenues of assistance available to anyone who needs it. Sue Hood, a kynector, will be available at the West Kentucky Allied Services office at 1107 Poplar Street in Benton on Fridays from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. There are also several local insurance agents who are kynect certified and can help with choosing one of the available plans. Appointments are recommended for both the kynectors and insurance agents.
The Affordable Care Act session was held as part of the Marshall County Public Library’s Lunch and Learn series, which is a free educational program open to the public. The next session, which is scheduled for February 19.