Bob Tomaszewski
Forum Editor
As Valentine’s Day approaches, so February 15, the deadline to apply for health insurance through Medicaid and the Marketplace. Recently, Dyson Wellness Center coordinated a campaign with the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Healthcare to help students through the process of getting insured.
In-person counselors come to North Central College every Thursday until the 15th deadline. The penalty for not being covered before the deadline is a fine, which is either $95 or one percent of the non-insured individuals income, whichever is higher.
“Medicaid has historically had a difficult reputation regarding not having access to a whole lot of providers, and with the Affordable Care Act especially this year Medicaid has changed dramatically, there are a lot more providers that accept Medicaid.” Michele Daniels a VNA Healthcare in-person counselor says.
Francis Lombardi, another in-person counselor at VNA Healthcare says, “One thing that students ask about applying for Medicaid are income requirements. To meet the financial requirement for coverage for one adult living in Illinois, a student needs to be earning less than $1293 a month.
For International Students the marketplace is the best option. “Students who have been a lawful permanent resident less than five years are ineligible for Medicaid. Although, there are plenty of other options in the marketplace.”
For those with pre-existing conditions “One of the great things about the affordable act is that there are no more pre-existing conditions that can prevent somebody from getting coverage,” according to Daniels.
“Someone who had a brain surgery a few months ago for example came in to talk about their coverage options and they were worried that they would not be eligible for any healthcare, and it turns out that they found a plan that was a good $600 dollars less than what they were already paying.” Daniels says.
If a football player gets injured they wouldn’t have to worry about their pre existing injury preventing them from applying. “Students typically qualify for Medicaid because of their low income status,” Daniels says.
Daniels advises that students who qualify for Medicaid and apply should let their current healthcare provider know that they applied hold onto their medical bills to get reimbursed.
The time it takes for someone to get their card is approximately 60 days but for a patient with certain conditions, the process can be expedited. Current reasons for the process to be expedited include ADHD medication, surgeries required for life sustaining injuries or illness, those with broken bones, those on psychotrophic medications such as lithium, thorzine and pregnant women who are within two months of delivery.
Students can take advantage of the information/application sessions that VNA Healthcare will be hosting every Thursday from noon to 4pm in the second floor of the White Activities Center. More information on insurance coverage can be found on getcoveredil.gov
