Enroll Wyoming offers free assistance with health coverage needs, and we are

excited about open enrollment season.

-- The deadline to review and make changes to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is Dec. 7. (Find out more in this Enroll Wyoming video).

-- The updated deadline to enroll in the health insurance marketplace is Jan. 17, 2024, but if you want coverage to start on Jan. 1, 2024, you need to sign up by Dec. 15, 2023.

While people are reviewing their options, NerdWallet offers specific questions to consider during open enrollment. If you need help answering those questions, you can get free help from Enroll Wyoming by visiting our website or calling 211.

There are lots of health insurance scams out there, especially during open enrollment season.

HealthCare.gov has a list of suspicious activities to watch for, what you can expect from your health insurers, and how to protect yourself from potential scammers. Click here to learn more! 

Enroll Wyoming’s Behavioral Health Redesign (BHR) team is now hiring! Dasa Robertson is moving from her position as lead navigator to head up the new BHR grant as program manager, and Region 1 Navigator Erik Saulness is going with her as the lead benefits specialist. BHR is looking for benefits specialists to work in temporary positions that will last at least until summer 2024.

The Behavioral Health Redesign (BHR) benefits specialist is a grant-funded position that assists Behavioral Health Center clients across Wyoming with completing enrollment documents and determining eligibility for state-supported services, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), and the health insurance marketplace. This position will provide assistance and training to Behavioral Health Centers within the assigned region both in person and remotely.

Apply online today. 

Small businesses can enroll in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) without having to meet the minimum participation rate (MPR) and employer minimum contribution requirement through Friday, December 15. This allows small businesses to offer a SHOP plan even if they don’t meet the required participation rate, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

After December 15, small businesses will need to meet their state’s MPR and employer minimum contribution requirement to enroll in SHOP coverage. For most states, this means 70 percent of employees must either accept the offer of SHOP coverage or be enrolled in other qualified health coverage for a group to participate in SHOP. Employer contribution rules may also require you to contribute a specified percentage to your employee’s premium costs. The MPR Calculator is available to help employers predict if they will meet the requirement.

Enroll Wyoming is not trained on SHOP plans and will not be providing technical support in this area. Mountain Health Co-op is the only health insurance company in Wyoming that offers SHOP plans. Your best contact for more information is MHC's Rich Wessenberg at 307-630-2247.

Wyoming is a special place for many reasons, one being how rural we are. A majority of Wyoming residents live in frontier land or rural communities, which is why Thursday, Nov. 16, is celebrating YOU! National Rural Health Day aims to highlight all the effort that goes in to keeping our community members happy and healthy.

To our community partners, we give a huge thank you for all the hard work and commitment you have toward the people you serve. And to our rural folks, we thank you for trusting us to lend a helping hand when you need it.

To celebrate, you can participate in multiple webinars; post on social media talking the great parts of rural life while using hashtags like #PowerOfRural or #NationalRuralHealthDay; and thank caregivers, providers, neighbors, and coworkers for their part in keeping our communities strong!

Always remember that your friends at Enroll Wyoming are here to help, especially with open enrollment going on right now!

-- The Central Wyoming Counseling Center and Enroll Wyoming are hosting a free event on Nov. 16 and 17 so people can look at getting health coverage through the health insurance marketplace. Call 307-237-9583 to sign up for a spot.

-- Learn more about health insurance during the Apprentice/Trades Day Career Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Pathways Innovation Center at 3000 Independence Court in Casper.

-- Enroll Wyoming will be open for office hours from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Campbell County Public Library on 2101 South 4-J Road in Gillette.

-- Casper College will host a health care job fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Liesinger Gymnasium on 125 College Drive. Look for the Enroll Wyoming table.

-- Enroll Wyoming will be available to work with people from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 at the Natrona County Public Library on 307 East Second Street in Casper. To schedule an appointment, contact Cynthia Nunley at cynthia.nunley@crmcwy.org or 307-274-2312.

-- Watch the next Enroll Wyoming update video at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. Watch for the video on Facebook or YouTube.

Click the graphic below for community and partner events

To submit a flyer for an upcoming edition of The Buzz, email caleb@enrollwyo.org.