The Federal Open Enrollment Period (OEP) to sign up for or change health insurance plans runs from Nov. 1, 2023, through Jan. 15, 2024. Navigators from Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF), housed within the USF College of Public Health, along with their community partners are poised to help consumers find health insurance plans that are right for them.

Florida Covering Kids & Families works collaboratively with Florida agencies and stakeholders to advocate and conduct outreach to ensure all Floridians have access to affordable healthcare coverage. It has seven contracted partners that serve all 67 counties in Florida and is funded by a multimillion-dollar, multi-year grant from the U.S. Health and Human Service Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

While the FL-CKF has no large-scale, in-person sign-up events scheduled in the community this year, Nikia Gates, program manager for the FL-CKF Navigator Project, said Navigators—specially trained individuals who help a consumer “navigate” the health insurance marketplace—are just a phone call away to answer questions and schedule in-person or virtual appointments.

“Florida Covering Kids & Families will provide education and support, offer referrals when applicable, and schedule appointments with a Navigator partner in the consumer’s area if needed,” Gates said. “We will also be providing technical support to the Affordable Care Act consortium of partners. Additionally, we will be contacting consumers via mail through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Marketplace Assistance Community (MAC) database.”

Navigators will also be out and about in the community.

Family Healthcare Foundation, a Tampa-based nonprofit that partners with FL-CKF and provides outreach and application assistance in publicly funded health care programs such as Florida KidCare, the Health Insurance Marketplace and local county health care programs, will have Navigators meeting with consumers on the phone and virtually. Tampa Bay Navigators will be at locations such as Tampa General, BayCare Health Systems hospitals, the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County Family Resource Centers and Feeding Tampa Bay’s Empowerment Centers.  

“Offering multiple options to meet with a Navigator at a variety of community and clinical settings truly ‘meets’ people where they are to help them navigate a complicated system of understanding what their health insurance options are,” Katie Roders Turner, executive director of Family Healthcare Foundation, said. “We assist anyone and encourage everyone to reach out to speak with us if they are looking for health insurance information. Navigators are always free and always confidential.”

Anyone exploring new health insurance options or needing to change an existing plan is urged to utilize the OEP.

“The OEP is open to everyone. Appointments are available virtually, over the phone, and in person,” Gates said. “Anyone needing assistance getting health coverage through the Marketplace can call Covering Florida at (877) 813-9115 or visit coveringflorida.org to book an appointment with a Navigator in their area. Consumers can also visit healthcare.gov to explore resources that will help make enrollment faster and easier. Resources are available to help consumers determine if they qualify for savings, making health care even more affordable.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health (COPH) recently brought together roughly 40 health care marketplace Navigators—specially trained people who help those searching for health insurance “navigate” the enrollment process—and representatives of health education partners from around the state to meet, network and, most importantly, collaborate.

The meeting took place in Lutz, Fla., on Sept. 12-13.

A meeting of the minds

Dr. Ellen Daley, a COPH professor and principal investigator of the Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF) grant, which works extensively with Navigators around the state, said bringing together Navigators and partners at this point, when FL-CKF leadership has recently changed, was crucial.

Florida Covering Kids & Families works collaboratively with Florida agencies and stakeholders to advocate and conduct outreach to ensure all Floridians have access to affordable health care coverage.

“It was a good time to get together with partners and see what was working and what wasn’t, what needed addressing, what needed revising,” Daley said in her opening remarks to the group.

Daley then gave the group an overview of some recent FL-CKF highlights, noting that over the last 10 years, some 19,000 consumers have been helped, per year, with insurance enrollment and that Florida, California and Texas have the highest rates of enrollment in the country.

After introductions and an ice-breaker toss-the-beach-ball exercise, state partners were invited to the podium to list their “Points of Pride.”

Outreach outlined

Many outlined how they provide outreach to the large and often diverse areas they serve, sparking ideas for other groups.

For example, Big Bend Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Inc., a nonprofit based in Tallahassee that aims to improve community health, focusing on underserved, rural and minority populations in its area, described how they talk to people about insurance while they are getting their blood sugar checked or blood pressure taken. They also place ads in grocery carts and on bus stops and leave information at nail salons and public libraries, which many people without a computer or WiFi will stop into to check the internet or email.

Other groups talked of how they reach clients by partnering with health care systems and local health departments, going to food banks, construction sites and homeless shelters, talking about insurance enrollment during tobacco cessation programs and utilizing texting programs.

They also hire Navigators from within the community, a move that often helps to mitigate cultural differences and language barriers.

“Insurance for free? Why is no one talking about this?!”

Time and time again, the Navigators shared stories of the impact health insurance had on their clients’ lives—including the elderly woman who had recently immigrated and didn’t have a social security card and wasn’t eligible for Medicare. Or the international student at Florida State who had no idea how health insurance in this country worked. “We helped him find a plan that was no cost to him,” said Allison Wiman, executive director of Big Bend AHEC. “The student said, ‘Insurance for free? Why is no one talking about this?!’”

A passion for what they do

A Navigator’s work can be complex and sometimes frustrating—but always rewarding, the meeting’s participants said.

“I absolutely love what I do,” said Rory Noonan, who works with FL-CKF’s USF Navigator team. “I actually got my own health insurance plan through the Navigator program when I was in graduate school and turned 26, and I can see directly how [our work] helps people. It feels good to tell people, ‘Congratulations, you now have health care.’”

“I remember many appointments in 2013 [when open enrollment in the health care marketplace began] when consumers would leave our offices walking much taller, as this was the first time they were able to obtain health coverage,” added Tammy Watson, military outreach coordinator with FL-CKF. “Being a small part of this is both humbling and rewarding.”

Health insurance open enrollment using the Health Insurance Marketplace begins Nov. 1 and closes Jan. 15. All Marketplace plans cover preventive health services as well as things such as prescription drugs and hospitalizations. They also provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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In 2023, the Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF) Navigator Program, housed within the USF College of Public Health (COPH), will turn 10 years old.

This year the program employs some 200 Navigators, up from a low of 60 when funding was cut during the Trump Administration. Navigators not only help consumers—many of them in vulnerable, under-served populations—“navigate” health insurance enrollment using the Health Care Marketplace, but, according to FL-CKF Program Director Jodi Ray, they also help them navigate the entire health care system.

“Navigators are connecting enrollees to providers, helping them understand medical billing and giving them some health literacy,” Ray said. “Some people don’t know what to do once they get insurance. We tell them about things such as preventive care. Our job is so much bigger than enrollment work.”

And big jobs often come with big price tags.

This year FL-CKF was awarded $12.9 million by the U.S. Health and Human Service (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of a record-breaking grant awarding FL-CKF roughly $36 million over three years. The funds will be used to hire more Navigators, as well as for advertising and outreach, Ray said.

“We’re doing digital campaigns, broadcast TV, radio ads and ads on streaming services,” Ray said. “But we’re also going to focus on rural areas where many of our vulnerable populations live and where mass communication ads may not be successful. This year, we’ll be putting people on the ground in those hard-to-reach places. Navigators will be visiting laundromats, barber shops, beauty salons, bodegas and other places in the community to try and reach people. We also have a partnership with Walgreens, and we’ll be setting up tables in some stores. We’ll be utilizing some new things this year that we haven’t in the past because we have the resources to do so.”

Ray notes that in 10 years, the Navigator Program has tripled in size. What would she like to see in the future? More integration with other public health services, she says.

“The Navigator Program can be replicated to so many other health and social services,” Ray commented. “For example, housing insecurity and health care disparities and food insecurity all go hand in hand. People may be living in places where there’s a food desert or transportation is a barrier. The Navigator Program can be a model for navigating these other systems and services as well.”

Open health care enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 15, 2023. For more information, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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A new herd of Bulls entered the USF College of Public Health (COPH) on Monday, Aug. 22. Whether you’re a student, faculty member or employee on campus, we are ready to be together for a year planned with more in-person events and celebrations.

New faces at the COPH

The COPH is welcomed 810 new students enrolled for the fall 2022 semester, with 492 undergraduate, 292 master’s and 26 doctoral students.

Students also saw some new faces among the college staff.

Cassandra Garza

Cassandra Garza supports the COPH’s Florida Covering Kids and Families team initiatives as a program planner analyst.

Garza’s journey at USF began through earning her BS in biomedical sciences. She has worked at USF since 2015, contributing to varying departments. Determined to advance her skills in serving diverse populations, she started the MPH program concentrating in maternal and child health. She is thrilled for the opportunity to continue to contribute to USF and the surrounding Tampa Bay community.

Sirly Castro, MBA

Sirly Castro is a fiscal and business specialist for the COPH Office of Research. As a detail and solution-oriented accountant with a strong work ethic, she provides technical assistance and financial management strategies.

Castro had been working at the USF College of Behavioral and Community Science for the past 10 years, assisting with fiscal responsibilities while supporting and guiding clients to achieve their goals and teaching them skills to be successful.

Holding an MBA in accounting, Castro has an exceptional breadth of community outreach experience and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Rory Noonan, MPH

Rory Noonan is one of the newest members of the Florida Covering Kids and Families team, joining as a program planner analyst.

Noonan recently graduated from the COPH, earning an MPH with a concentration in health policies and programs. After earning his BS in both economics and finance, he realized that he wanted to go in a different direction with his career and chose public health. He’s happy to be making the transition to a field where he can make a positive impact as a public health professional. 

Miriam Esocabar, MA, MSPH

Miriam Escobar joined the college as a consultant for USF SafetyFlorida.

Escobar is an Air Force veteran who grew up in Chicago. She holds a BA in geography and economics from Northeastern Illinois University. After 10 years of active-duty service in the Air Force, she completed an MA in Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies and an MSPH in occupational exposure science from USF. She has worked in COVID-19 response for the Florida Department of Health and as an industrial hygienist and military contractor.

Ciarrah Silva

Ciarrah Silva joined the Florida Covering Kids & Families team as a program planner analyst.

Silva began her USF journey in 2016 as an undergraduate in the BSHS program, graduating in December 2019. During her time as a student, she began her career at USF at the RightPath Research and Innovation Center working on a research project.  She’s excited to use the skills she’s developed in her new position.

Natalie Erasme, MPH, CPH

Natalie Erasme is continuing to practice her passion as a program planner analyst for the Florida Prevention Research Center.

Erasme began her public health career as a consultant for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene after graduating from Fordham University in 2018. She then went on to obtain an MPH from the COPH in 2021.

She currently coordinates and evaluates culturally appropriate research studies that help underrepresented communities reach improved health outcomes. Erasme will be working on projects with the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network and Morehouse School of Medicine and is serving as the chair of the Southwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative.

Silvia Moreno

Silvia Moreno is looking forward to working as the project manager for the COPH Lifelong Learning Academy. In this role, she will expand public health professional and workforce development.

In 2007, Moreno obtained her bachelor’s degree from USF in elementary education. She has served as an educator and facilitator for Hillsborough County Public Schools for the last 15 years.

Moreno is looking forward to graduating with her master’s degree in learning design and technology and with a graduate certificate in e-learning design and development from USF this fall. She is eager to coalesce her teaching and instructional design skills to develop and deliver programs of outstanding value to the community.

Ashley Tower

Ashley Tower joined the COPH as a fiscal and business specialist.

Originally from Bristol, R.I., Tower moved to Tampa in 2014 with her partner, Jesse, where they later adopted two dogs, a Siberian husky and a German shepherd. Previously working at the USF College of Arts and Sciences and the USF Operations and Facilities Management, Tower has a background in banking as well as administrative support and is excited to use her skills in this new role.

James Kakoullis, MS

James Kakoullis is happy to be joining the COPH team as a teaching laboratory manager.

Kakoullis earned his MS in chemistry from the University of California, Riverside, and has worked in private industry at an environmental testing lab in the Tampa Bay Area. He also has experience in education, teaching chemistry at St. Petersburg and Hillsborough Community Colleges.

Benjamin Gessner, MPH

Benjamin Gessner is excited to continue practicing his passion at the COPH as a statistical data analyst for the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative within the Chiles Center.

After graduating with his BS in health sciences, Gessner went on to pursue an MPH with a concentration in epidemiology from the COPH. During his time earning his MPH, he served as a teaching assistant for a population assessment course while also interning at the Dry Eye and Cornea Treatment Center as a data analyst.

Earlette Thompkins

Earlette Thompkins is looking forward to working with her new team within the COPH’s OSHA Training Institute Education Center. She will be a training support specialist.

Thompkins is joining the COPH from a career in the court system. She has also been employed at various school districts, working within the classroom and administration. She most recently worked within the state’s Guardian Ad Litem Office, where she held a senior administrative assistant position. She hopes that her knowledge and skill set will be an asset to the team.

Social justice + public health = a more diverse workforce

The COPH also introduces a new undergraduate-to-graduate pathway program, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Scholar for Social Justice.

Originally known as the Maternal and Child Health Pipeline Training Program or MCH Train-A-Bull, the newly redesigned program aims to ensure a competent and diverse workforce passionate about improving health and reducing health disparities. The program provides students with a foundation in anti-racism and social justice through an exploration of systemic racism as a precursor to the social determinants of health disparities and outcomes.

Thirty undergraduate students were selected into this competitive program. They will complete a specially designed, intensive one-year curriculum that includes a community-engaged service project and two virtual, five-week summer trainings with online meetings that provide an MCH career and research foundation and guide students in applying for graduate school.

Students will work closely with MCH graduate student mentors, faculty mentors and community leaders during the program.

“I am excited to engage with students about social justice and MCH. Social justice is something I have worked in and have had a passion for since a very young age, even prior to my work in public health. It allows me to tie my interests together! I love workforce development, mentoring students and watching them grow into their own paths,” said Dr. Anna Armstrong, program director and associate professor. “We are laying the foundation for real social change at an MCH system level by empowering students with this knowledge and these skills. They will be reflective and intentional in their work, their decisions and their careers.”

Read more here.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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Sophany Nuth’s 30-hour-a-week job baking doughnuts doesn’t come with health insurance.

His weekly take-home pay is about $318. With rent, food and other bills, the 35-year-old Seffner fathercouldn’t afford the $400 a month quotes he got from private health insurers to cover him, his wife and two young children.

He was so worried, Nuth considered moving his family to Canada or Australia, which have universal health care.

“It’s a big stress in the family,” he said.

But Nuth is staying in Florida after enrolling his family in a health care plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace that he found with the help of navigators from the Family Healthcare Foundation. It will cost just $18 a month.

He is one of a record 2.7 million Floridians who have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act for 2022, a 600,000 increase from last year.

The federal program, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, is more popular than ever nationwide, too. A record 14.5 million people signed up for this year, surpassing the previous high by almost 2 million. That’s despite Republican attempts to challenge it in court and abolish it during President Donald Trump’s term.

That’s due to President Joe Biden’s administration, which spent more on marketing and increased investment in the availability of subsidies through last year’s $1.9 trillionAmerican Rescue Plan, said Jodi Ray, the executive director of Florida Covering Kids & Families.It’s a navigator program based at the University of South Florida in Tampa that coordinates outreach efforts across the state.

The Department of Health and Human Services restored $80 million to fund outreach efforts cut by the previous administration with the goal of quadrupling the number of navigators, who help people pick and enroll in insurance plans. Also, more insurance companies offered plans in the federal marketplace this year and the cost of premiums remained flat or, in some cases, dropped slightly.

Read the full story from Tampa Bay Times here.

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Navigators from the USF College of Public Health’s Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF) will be joined by those from the Family Healthcare Foundation on Nov. 10 at the USF Marshall Student Center to help consumers learn more about their coverage options through the federal health insurance marketplace. 

The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Consumers can register for an appointment by calling toll-free (877) 813-9115 or visiting www.CoveringFlorida.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

The 9th annual open enrollment season is coming on the heels of the most challenging year and a half that Floridians have faced in the health care arena. The COVID-19 pandemic’s health impacts, its ongoing job and wage losses and the related loss of employer-sponsored insurance make it tremendously important for consumers to be able to understand their options in successfully obtaining affordable health coverage for themselves and their families for 2022. 

Covering Florida navigators deliver free outreach and enrollment services to any Floridian that needs to enroll in health care coverage in the federal health insurance marketplace. Navigators are trained and certified to help consumers as they shop for their health coverage options through the marketplace, including completing eligibility and enrollment forms. Services are confidential and free to consumers in all of Florida’s 67 counties.

At the Nov. 10 event, FL-CKF navigators will be on hand to offer education about marketplace insurance, assist individuals and families with coverage choices and guide those interested in enrolling through the application process.

FL-CKF was awarded a nearly $12 million navigator grant for the 2021-2022 enrollment period. FL-CKF works with 9 consortium partners across the state to help those who want assistance understanding and enrolling in healthcare coverage available through the health insurance marketplace.

The last date to enroll for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2022 (as well as the final day that 2022 enrollees can change policies before being “auto-reenrolled” in their previous health care coverage plan) is Dec.15, 2021.

Edited by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF), a community and consumer-focused nonprofit initiative based at the USF College of Public Health, has received a record-breaking $11.9 million from the U.S. Health and Human Service (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

The grant will be used for the ninth year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment and outreach programs. 

According to its website, “FL-CKF works collaboratively with Florida agencies and stakeholders to advocate and conduct outreach to ensure all Floridians have access to affordable health care coverage. The initiative aims to foster and facilitate innovative methods for enrolling and retaining eligible children in Florida’s publicly funded insurance programs (Florida KidCare & Medicaid) and enrolling and retaining eligible adults in the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace.”

Jodi Ray, director of FL-CKF, says the group will receive $11.9 million per year for the next three years, for a total of nearly $36,000,000. 

That’s the highest any state has been awarded (North Carolina came in a distant second this year, with $4.9 million awarded) and a huge increase over last year’s $1.6 million that was awarded under the Trump administration. 

“Previously, we had to scale way back, because we lost resources,” Ray commented. “And now we’re expanding, because we’ve been awarded back those resources and more.”

Ray says she thinks FL-CKF received such a hefty grant award because the federal government looked at the group’s history and knows that it performs. 

“We’ve always exceeded our goals,” Ray said. “In fact, Florida has ranked the highest in enrollments for the marketplace every year. And we have nationally recognized programs. We’ve had at least six different states come to us asking for help with grant writing. And a lot of other grantees come to us looking for technical support. We do a really good job of doing what we are supposed to be doing—getting people enrolled in the ACA.”

Ray says much of the money will go to hire more Navigators (specially trained individuals who help consumers “navigate” the healthcare marketplace) to meet the increasing demand for affordable healthcare. According to Ray, their numbers will grow from about 60 who are staffed during the open enrollment period to 200 across the state who will work year-round. The money will also be spent on outreach and health education programs, including those centered around COVID-19 testing, vaccines and other protections. 

While Ray says she’s thrilled to receive such a significant grant, she also acknowledges that it’s overwhelming.

“I’m not gonna lie—it’s a bit stressful,” Ray said. “I feel very anxious about it because it’s a big undertaking, and we really do need more people and more equipment on board. What’s more, the HHS is going to be doing a lot of intense marketing, so I think that will drive a lot of people to our team.”

This year’s open enrollment period for health coverage extends from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15. “We have a lot of work to do,” Ray said. “But, thankfully, we have a longer enrollment period.” 

Story by Donna Campisano for USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health’s Florida Covering Kids and Families program recently received a $5,000 grant from the national Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) campaign. 

PIF comprises hundreds of different organizations and is anchored by the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). It partners with community advocates, coalitions, public and private officials, health care service providers and the media to provide education and outreach to immigrant families.

According to Jodi Ray, program director of Florida Covering Kids and Families, an initiative that works to ensure all Florida families have access to affordable health care coverage, the grant money will be used for a variety of endeavors, including:

• Creating education materials in three different languages regarding the Biden administration’s changes to “public charge” regulations. 
  • Public charge is an immigration law term that describes a person who is primarily dependent on the government for support. 
  • Currently, public charge status does not affect things like nutrition and housing assistance programs (SNAP, WIC, Section 8 public housing), community-based services like food banks and emergency-relief assistance, such as COVID-19 related testing, treatment, vaccines and economic impact payments.
• Conducting vaccine outreach to low-wage immigrant and undocumented workers.
• Conducting workshops on ID-related issues and how they impact access to services.
• Providing information and outreach regarding economic-relief programs.

“There have been a lot of challenges for immigrants, including those who are lawfully residing here, to access the benefits they’re entitled to and are eligible for,” Ray said. “There’s a lot of fear [among immigrants] about the public charge rules, and there’s a tendency for some people to not access health care or apply for coverage. What we’re doing is getting information out to people to let them know there are resources available to them regardless of their immigration status. For example, they’re eligible for the COVID vaccine and for COVID treatment. A lot of people don’t know that. They’re not getting this information from the insurance companies.”

Getting the word out won’t be an easy task, but Ray says having ground troops out in the community already advocating for immigrants and their rights will help.

“Our focus has been on enrollment and outreach work, and now we’re expanding into COVID-19 education,” Ray said. “We’re getting out there talking about the safety of the COVID vaccines and encouraging people to get one. A lot won’t seek care, even if they need it, because they’re afraid it will create a financial burden for the family. We’re working to break down the fear and distrust.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF  College of Public Health

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U.S. President Joseph Biden has opened a special Affordable Care Act enrollment period to run until May 15, and the USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF) program is ready to assist.

FL-CKF manages the USF State Navigator Program and seven other organizations (collectively referred to as the “Covering Florida” consortium) that provide Navigator services across Florida.

Jodi Ray, director of FL-CKF, says this special open enrollment period (SEP) is open to everyone using the healthcare.gov platform specifically.

“This SEP is in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, which has left millions facing health problems, uncertainty and exceptional circumstances,” she said. “Consumers who enroll under this SEP will be able to select a plan with coverage that starts prospectively the first of the month after plan selection.”

She also says consumers will have 30 days after they submit their application to choose a plan.

“This SEP will not involve any new application questions or require consumers to provide any new information not otherwise needed to determine eligibility and enroll in coverage. Nor will they have to provide any information documenting a qualifying event, which is typically required for a special enrollment period,” Ray said.

Ray and her team of navigators are primarily booking virtual and phone appointments; however, they have adjusted their efforts accordingly to meet consumer needs.

“The reality is not everyone can be served that way,” she said. “We live in a state where there is still a digital divide. Lack of access to broadband and varying levels of both computer literacy and health insurance literacy can make reviewing, for example, 105 plans in Hillsborough County, very difficult. This is especially true when you add in language and cultural differences. Our job is to help everyone who needs help and do it in the way that is best for the individual.”

But, preventing the spread of COVID-19 while attending to those needs has also been on the forefront.

“As public health workers, we understand that we have to take the safety of both the consumer and staff seriously. While the COPH has really helped us with setting up our office safely, we are still trying to give as many consumers as possible those remote appointments,” she said.

Anyone who needs assistance in getting health coverage through the marketplace should call Covering Florida at 877-813-9115 or go on the website (coveringflorida.org) and book directly with a navigator closest to their zip code.

Ray said she anticipates longer enrollment periods in the future, given the change in administration in the White House. She also noted that past enrollment periods had gone down to as little as six weeks during the Trump administration. 

Last year, the project enrolled 2,788 consumers, and the two previous years before that 2,708 and 3,879 consumers.

“Of course, before 2017, the resources for enrollment and outreach were significantly higher, and so were our enrollment numbers,” Ray said. “Compared to just normal SEPs, we are running higher in call volume reflective of the open enrollment period for the same amount time.”

This, she says, is due in part to the pandemic.

“A lot of individuals who have mostly relied on employer coverage for access to health insurance are really having a tough time,” she said. “For example, gig workers and those in the performing arts are really needing help to navigate these programs they have never used. Since the number of individuals like this is growing at a pretty fast rate, this SEP will allow those who might have missed the last open enrollment period because they were unaware of the deadlines to apply and see if they can find an affordable plan, even if for the interim.”

She also noted that for those who already selected a plan during the last enrolment, changes can be made during this special enrollment period.

“This is a good chance to make sure that the plan they signed up for during the fall open enrollment period is still the best fit,” she said. “People might have a better idea of what their income and situations will be like for 2021. They may want to see if the plan they selected will meet their needs.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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While the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the nation resulting in loss of employment for many, USF College of Public Health’s Jodi Ray wants the public to know that doesn’t mean they have to lose health care coverage too.

Ray, program director of the COPH’s Florida Covering Kids & Families, says she and her team of health insurance navigators experienced a jump in calls over the past few months from individuals who have been furloughed, laid off, or are self-employed.  

“From the day the person experiences the reason to lose coverage, they have 60 days to apply for a special enrollment period,” Ray said.

A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is a time outside the yearly open enrollment period where you can sign up for health insurance if you’ve had certain life events, including loss of health coverage, moving, marriage, new baby, or adopting a child. Additionally, a person who was unable to apply during that period due to COVID-19 may be eligible for another SEP.

Enrollment in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may be done any time of the year, whether you qualify for a SEP or not, according to Ray.

Ray said healthcare.gov has also outlined more detailed COVID-19 SEP information, which includes guidance on what options are available for those who lost a job, are experiencing reduced working hours or are now unable to afford their premiums.

“To qualify in terms of insurance being unaffordable, they would look at the cost of the insurance based on household income,” Ray said. “We can also potentially get an SEP if something changed to make them eligible for tax credits, such as a change in household income.”

Ray stressed individuals should be cautious of groups selling short-term plans, which may not cover all COVID-19 services.

“Keep in mind that people are out there selling these short-term plans,” she said. “They are not under the same requirements to cover COVID testing and treatment. People think they are going to get a deal out of some junk plan. They are going to find they aren’t going to have the coverage they expect to have. People have to be careful about that and which is why it’s important to talk to a navigator.”

Ray said there are even Marketplace plans that offer telehealth for little to no co-payments.

“Some people don’t even realize this is an option; they can continue health care without putting their health at risk,” she said.

Despite a drastic decrease in program funding over the last few years, Ray and her team are currently conducting appointments virtually to help those in need across the state.

To speak with a navigator for assistance, visit www.coveringflorida.com or call toll free 877-813-9115.

“Our team will also help with Florida KidCare, which has open-enrollment year-round, and covers children until they turn 19,” she said. “It’s important to get the word out, I think some people they just don’t know where to go for help. We can also help with any other complicated situations with their Marketplace or KidCare coverage. We can also address application issues. We don’t want people out there struggling.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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