Mayor talks healthcare, open enrollment during press conference in Carmel

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Jonathan Nalli, CEO of St. Vincent, stands alongside Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard during a press conference Jan. 13. (Photo by James Feichtner)
Jonathan Nalli, CEO of St. Vincent, stands alongside Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard during a press conference Jan. 13. (Photo by James Feichtner)

By James Feichtner

Officials of St. Vincent Hospital, along with Mayor Jim Brainard, came together for a news conference at St.Vincent Carmel Hospital. Their goal was to spread the word of the new year enrollment duration for various health care services offered to citizens. Officials emphasized that improvements have been made to the enrollment process providing a more simple procedure for enrolling, but with the deadline for enrollment being set at Feb. 15, officials were determined to make those without health care aware.

“This is an important message and we’re all here today to lend support to remind people who are not insured to go online and sign up,” Mayor Brainard said. “For [health care programs]to work people have to sign up. In this wonderful country of ours no one should have to choose between health insurance and food or rent, nor does it make any sense for people, say with preexisting conditions, to be stuck in a dead-end job and be afraid to take a better job because they’ll lose their health insurance.”

Mayor Brainard went on to encourage people to get the word our to their peers.

“If we work together as a country to implement this program it’s absolutely critical though to reach those in doubt and those who are not yet insured if we are going to make this program work,” he said. “It’s absolutely imperative that more people participate. Tell everybody to get the word out.”

Kathleen Falk, Director of Region 5, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, explained that there are many individuals that are unaware of the open enrollment dates.

She said 89 percent of the uninsured do not know that this is the enrollment period and that’s why is so important that the mayor gets the word out.

A health access worker for St.Vincent Kim Geronimo explained that there are services available to individuals that have trouble understanding the process to register and that people can get help finding what programs they qualify for.

“Our goal is to help bridge the gap between the community barriers that they may have in obtaining these health care services,” she said.

Officials are encouraging individuals to visit heathcare.gov for more information. Deadline to register for healthcare programs is Feb. 15.

 

Current in Carmel wants to know, have you signed up for healthcare? If not, will you? Send us your thoughts to [email protected].


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