It's open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act open enrollment period is underway.  KUT reported one of the barriers stopping people from getting coverage can be summed up in three words: health insurance literacy.  Here are the cliff notes for health insurance terms:

A HMO requires you to pick a primary physician.  That person will become your health home, and any services you want have to be approved by that physician.

PPO’s don’t require a referral from a primary care physician.  If you use services from your “network” of medical providers, you’ll pay less.

A copay is a set amount you pay when you go to a clinic or doctor and receive service.

A deductible is the amount you have to pay out of your pocket before insurance kicks in.

Obamacare has made it possible for a Kansas woman to have health insurance tells the Kansas Health Institute.  Sherry Calderwood works just blocks from the Kansas Statehouse.  The 45 year old waitress says she’s been fine all these years without coverage. But, recently her luck ran out. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.  Kansas health insurance commissioner Sandy Praeger says before the Affordable Care Act Calderwood would mostly likely have been denied coverage. Praeger went on to say prior to the act, there was a high risk pool for people like Calderwood, but the coverage probably would have been unaffordable.  

The ACA open enrollment period started Saturday and runs through mid February.

Here are the enrollment numbers for the region:

Credit http://kff.org/