Deadline 9/5 - Many families may lose health coverage due to documentation discrepancies

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I don't usually have my worlds collide but I have a similar blog on the National Center for Family/Professional Partnerships for children with special health care needs that I'd like to share here with family caregivers as it is time sensitive.

Over 300,000 individuals[i] are at risk of losing health care coverage because of documentation discrepancies in their applications.  Letters went out on August 12, 2014 to these individuals.  Families and groups working with them can find out how to address this issue by following the tips below.

 

Why is this happening?

In some applications, the information about citizenship or immigration status is incomplete.  In others, the information supplied by applicants about their citizenship or immigration status is different from the information that the federal government has in their records.  Letters were sent out to families in 36 states to try to reconcile these discrepancies.  It is important to understand that families only have until 9/5/14 to supply the missing information or they will lose coverage, or lose access to federal financial help to pay for it, effective 9/30/14.

 

What can families do?

To make sure they don’t lose their insurance or financial help that makes it affordable, families can:

Ø  Look at the eligibility/reminder notice that describes who has information missing and the documents that are needed

Ø  Log into the account on the marketplace

Ø  Select “current application”

Ø  Click on “application details” which lists data that doesn’t match with other federal data already on file

Ø  Upload needed documents  

 

If families have already supplied information or need help:

Families can call the Marketplace at (800)318-2596 or TTY (855)889-4325.  There is also local help available which will go over paperwork with families to decide how to rectify the mismatch (see Resources.)  It is important for families to follow-up if they have already sent the information requested.  The Marketplace will confirm with families that the information was processed.  A Family-to-Family Health Information Center may also be able to assist you.  Visit http://www.fv-ncfpp.org/f2fhic/find-a-f2f-hic/ to find the center in your state. 

 

Families, especially those who have children with disabilities, need to make sure they keep coverage for their child.  Individuals with health coverage are diagnosed earlier, treated sooner, and have better health outcomes than those without coverage.[ii] [iii]   

 

P.S.  My blog on children with special needs and health care is found at http://www.fv-ncfpp.org/blog

 

 Resources:

 

 

Healthcare.gov notice

https://www.healthcare.gov/blog/still-need-to-send-documents/ 

 

Find local help

https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/

Remain Hopeful,

 

Lauren 

 

Lauren Agoratus is a parent/advocate who works for the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network and serves as the NJ Coordinator for Family Voices (www.spanadvocacy.org), a national network that works to “keep families at the center of children’s healthcare” at www.familyvoices.org or FB www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Voices-Inc-National/137783182902269.  She also serves as NJ representative supporting caregivers across the lifespan for the Caregiver Action Network (formerly National Family Caregivers Association) in a volunteer capacity at http://caregiveraction.org/ or FB www.facebook.com/CaregiverActionNetwork.

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[i] http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/administration-warns-some-could-lose-insurance-coverage-on-federal-exchange/2014/08/12/efabd05e-223c-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html

[ii] http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/CHDIR/2011/FactSheets/Insurance.pdf

[iii] http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/CHDIR/2011/FactSheet.pdf