ACA health insurance open enrollment period now underway in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Anchorage residents can check out health insurance plans when checking out books at the Loussac Library in Midtown Anchorage.

Today, the open enrollment period began for Americans to pick from an array of affordable, comprehensive healthcare insurance options under the Affordable Care Act. In Alaska, the United Way offers cost-free, statewide assistance until the end of the enrollment period on Jan. 15 of 2023. In-person United Way plan navigators will work with language interpreters on an as-needed basis, accepting both walk-ins and appointments in Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula. Virtual consultations are also available to serve rural Alaskans across the state.

This year, new IRS regulations will mend a loophole that left many families scrambling to find affordable options since the ACA’s passage in 2010. Many failed to qualify for the requisite tax credits making the ACA plans affordable, but also were unable to secure economically-priced insurance plans through their employer.

According to a letter from President and CEO of the American Medical Association James Madera in 2021, approximately five million American families fell into the “family glitch,” because plan costs calculated for individuals failed to account for the additional cost of covering an entire family.

Director of Income/Health Impact at United Way of Anchorage Jane Straight urges families to explore options following the recent changes to the ACA marketplace.

“Chances are, there’s an affordable option for health insurance for everybody,” Straight said.

Straight feels certain that the updated legislation will yield far-reaching benefits for individuals and their families.

“You know, they have that saying, ‘If you have your health, you have everything.’ And I think that’s really true, It’s just a foundation for your family, life, and happiness, and I think that having good health really does start with access to healthcare,” Straight said. “Access to healthcare generally means coverage, because healthcare is so expensive. And so we just really want people to know that there are options.”

For more information, call 211, or 1-800-478-2221, and visit healthcare.gov.

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