HCC Helps Consumers Enroll in ACA Marketplace
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace is once again open for business. Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2016 through January 31, 2017. Missouri operates a Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) at HealthCare.gov. The Marketplace allows individuals and families the option to purchase insurance and potentially receive discounts. Those who qualify can receive tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Individuals who don't shop on the Marketplace will not be eligible for these tax credits or subsidies. Low income families and individuals with household incomes below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) will receive an exemption and will not have to purchase insurance. However, individuals and families at or above 100 percent FPL who don't purchase insurance may be penalized.
Help for Consumers
  • Consumers may shop for plans, enroll or re-enroll in a plan at HealthCare.gov. Remember: Plans for 2016 will end December 31, 2016. Consumers have until December 15, 2016 to purchase insurance for an effective date of January 1, 2017.
  • Free, in-person assistance is available to help consumers navigate the Marketplace. This includes help with changing insurers, plan options and finances. Certified assisters will also help consumers re-enroll for 2017.
  • CoverMissouri.org provides a Find Local Help tool and call center at 1.800.466.3213.
    Spanish consumers may call 1.855.284.3236. The site also provides a Plan Comparison Tool, as well as many resources to educate consumers about ACA.
Help Close to Home
For those looking for local support, contact Iva Eggert at 1.877.344.3572. She serves as the Marketplace coordinator for Lexington, Mo.-based Health Care Collaborative (HCC) of Rural Missouri. Additionally, enrollment support for Medicare and Medicaid is available for those who qualify. Download complete details.

 

The Potential Future of ACA: A Message From REACH Healthcare CEO Brenda R. Sharpe

When contemplating the potential future of the Affordable Care Act post-election, I must remind myself that there was no ACA when the REACH Healthcare Foundation was established in 2003, and for several years after I accepted the first CEO position here in 2004. Our charge, then and now, is the same-to advance equity in health care coverage, access and quality for poor and underserved people.

REACH staff, our board of directors, and our nonprofit partners did great work in our early years dialing up the conversation on our area's high rates of uninsurance, identifying national best practice models and providing technical assistance to enable their spread throughout our service area, and identifying the most critical organizations in our community to serve as a safety net to thousands of patients every year.

In hindsight, the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 was a rare gift, one that bolstered our cause. It created a multiplier effect for our efforts to reduce the area's uninsured rate through the establishment of the Health Insurance Marketplace. It provided a clarion call for reforms and expansion of eligibility for public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP in Kansas and Missouri, to which we could add our voice. Read entire message.

 

REACH Healthcare Foundation Blog: Foundation Review Reflects on REACH Rural Health Initiative

This fall, the REACH Healthcare Foundation concluded its nearly five-year investment in a Rural Health Initiative (RHI) that was introduced in early 2012 with an aim of increasing health care access for residents in the three rural counties that are part of the foundation's service area: Lafayette and Cass counties in Missouri, and Allen County, Kansas.

With approximately 17% of the American population living in rural communities, identifying new strategies for addressing current health care issues for low income and underserved people in rural areas was vital for securing better health results. Bill Moore, Ph.D., Vice President of Program and Evaluation at REACH said the impetus for the RHI was the desire to see greater impact on health care access from the foundation's grant making in rural areas. In addition to improving health care access, the foundation and others involved in the initiative came to recognize the importance of building community leadership capacity and a network of committed organizations in the three counties so that residents could continue to tackle health and other community priorities long after the RHI was concluded.  Read entire blog.
HCC Launches Rural Job Site -- Members Post Jobs Free!
Nonmembers pay very nominal fee.
 
A letter to our HCC Network Members: 
Members of the HCC Rural Health Network post career opportunities at no charge! Please take advantage of this job site. Collectively, we can attract more qualified candidates to work in our rural communities. Here is how the job site works:

Employers who are also members of the HCC Rural Health Network can post non-featured jobs on the site at no cost. Nonmembers pay $50 for a job post that will run 30 days, a fee significantly lower than most other job sites. Both job seekers and employers are required to register on the site and create profiles. All employers pay only $15 to feature a job post on the site's homepage. You also have the option of uploading paid ads to promote career opportunities. We can help with that, too!

Job seekers who have registered on the site can easily search for jobs by keyword or location. Currently, there are several health-related job posts on the site. However, employers of all industries are welcomed to use the site.

Here's how to get started:

  •  Visit Careers.HCCNetwork.org.
  • Click the Employer link at the top of the site.
  • Click the orange button to register as an employer.
  • Complete the fields and be sure to select membership status as this will ensure members post for free.
  • From there, you create an employer profile.
Have questions or need support, call 660.259.2440.




Get Free Mental Health First Aid Training

Did you know that fifty percent of mental health disorders present signs before a child turns 14 but less than 20% of youth receive the treatment they need?  Check out more facts, figures and videos at HCCNetwork.org. 



HCC of Rural Missouri is offering free Youth Mental Health First Aid training to network organizations and their employees. After completion of the course, participants will receive a valid Youth Mental Health First Aid certification. HCC was awarded an AmeriCorp employee to implement YMHFA training. 






This eight-hour course will:
  • Define mental illnesses/disorders.
  • Identify warning signs.
  • Equip individuals with skills to provide early intervention should they see a young person that may be suffering from a mental illness.

Contact Elizabeth Williams at elizabeth.williams@hccnetwork.org to express your interest in attending the training, or call 816 305-2309 for more information.