OPINION
Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
November 20, 2017
Volume 27 Number 22
November 20, 2017
ISSN: 1094-9453
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Copyright 2017. Opinions expressed in this newspaper are
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MY TURN
n Dmae Roberts
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renewed my application for the Affordable Care
Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, on the
first day of open enrollment. Good news: It’s
much easier than in previous years.
In the first year, 2014, signing up proved difficult.
The ACA was new, uncharted territory for all
Americans. In Oregon, we were supposed to sign up
through the Cover Oregon website instead of the
national one, <www.HealthCare.gov>. The Cover
Oregon site failed due to technical issues. Luckily, I
found an insurance agent who helped me submit my
application materials by fax so I had insurance in
2015.
When I applied online at <www.HealthCare.gov>
in the second year, there was a bit of a learning
curve, but it proved to be a lot easier. Last year and
this year, it only took a couple hours to update my
previous application and select a plan. Most of the
time was spent researching new plans and checking
that my primary-care doctor carried that insurance.
The 2018 plan I selected isn’t as good as my 2017
one because it has a higher premium and
deductible, but it’s still better than before
healthcare reform. At that time, as self-employed
workers in 2013, my husband and I had an
insurance premium that was twice what we’ll pay in
2018. Back then, our health insurance — which had
a $5,000 deductible — in reality only covered
emergencies. So I’m still pretty satisfied with our
new 2018 plan and relieved that Richard and I are
covered for another year. I’m also grateful that our
income level again qualified us for a tax credit.
I wonder about the continued threats to cut the
ACA by the White House and members of congress.
Although they’ve been unable to repeal the ACA, I
noticed they’ve put up obstacles to dissuade people
from signing up. I worry that these factors will
cause higher premiums next year.
One of the obstacles is the open enrollment
season. This year it was cut in half to just 45 days.
This means that rather than having until the end of
January to enroll, the last day is now December 15.
The Trump administration cut back on funding
for navigator groups, which helped young and
low-income people, as well as people of color, enroll.
The budget for advertising to inform people about
signing up was also drastically reduced. Another
change the administration instituted was to declare
a maintenance period on the <www.HealthCare.
gov> website from midnight to noon on Sundays
I
during much of open enrollment.
Given the shortened enrollment period, I
encourage people to sign up well in advance of the
December 15 deadline. Using the website is pretty
easy and general information is available by con-
tacting the marketplace call center on the 24-hour,
toll-free hotline, 1-800-318-2596. To find an insur-
ance agent or broker, visit <www.HealthCare. gov>.
Another option to obtain assistance is to contact the
Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace at <www.
OregonHealthCare.gov> or 1-855-268-3767.
In addition, enrollment help in person is available
at area libraries. The Multnomah County Library is
offering free clinics at various branches through
December 14. Language assistance is available if it
is requested at least 48 hours before the clinic date.
To learn more, or to register, call (503) 988-5841 or
visit <www.multcolib.org/events/health-insurance-
information-enrollment-assistance>.
Washington County Cooperative Library
Services is providing assistance with individual,
drop-in consultations through the Senior Health
Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program
for the ACA as well as Medicare, Medicaid, and
CareOregon (also known as the Oregon Health
Plan). SHIBA representatives are available at the
Beaverton City Library (12375 S.W. Fifth Street) on
Mondays from 10:00am to noon. For more
information, call (503) 644-2197 or visit <www.
beavertonlibrary.org>.
The clinics are helpful, especially to people with
language or literacy considerations or those without
access to a computer or the internet. People who live
in other counties in Oregon should contact their
local library for available workshops.
Whatever the method, be sure to sign up for some
type of health insurance for 2018. Otherwise, there
is a penalty of $695 per adult, or up to 2.5 percent of
one’s household income, or more. And the penalty
may go up next year.
From my lower middle-class consumer point of
view, the ACA has been a lifesaver. Based on recent
reports about the surge in signups the first few
weeks, many Americans perhaps share my
perspective as well. While the ACA is far from
perfect and needs to be improved, numerous
Americans, especially people who are self-employed
and those who have pre-existing conditions, rely on
the ACA to obtain healthcare insurance. I hope we
continue to be covered in the future.
Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.
Wondering what events are going on this week?
Check out The Asian Reporter’s Community and A.C.E. Calendar sections, on pages 10 and 12.