Governor Evers, Commissioner Afable Announce New Resources
Madison, Wis. – Governor Tony Evers and Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable today announced a new free online resource to help Wisconsinites who need help getting health insurance.
The new site, WisCovered.com, connects Wisconsinites with free, expert help to get health coverage. Available in English, Spanish, and Hmong, WisCovered.com helps put people in touch with assistance via phone from organizations like Covering Wisconsin and the United Way’s 211. It also includes information about how to access health insurance on HealthCare.gov, BadgerCare Plus, and more. WisCovered.com is a mobile-first website, meaning that it was designed to work best on smartphones for Wisconsinites who may not have access to a computer or lack internet access at home.
“Healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege afforded only to the healthy and wealthy, and we have to do everything we can to make sure folks can access quality, affordable healthcare in Wisconsin,” Governor Evers said. “WisCovered.com is a new resource to connect folks with experts who can help find the right health insurance solution, whether that’s private insurance or BadgerCare Plus.”
“We know that finding the right health insurance options can seem like a navigating maze,” Commissioner Afable said. “WisCovered.com was created to guide you to the right resources. If you want to better understand your health insurance options, WisCovered.com will help connect you to an expert. You can also use the site to connect to online resources and to get answers to common questions.”
Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes recorded a PSA to promote WisCovered.com. The PSA will be posted on social media and is available here.
More than 651,000 applications for unemployment have been filed in Wisconsin since March 15. Those Wisconsinites may have also lost their employer-based health insurance. When an individual loses their health insurance, they may only have 60 days to enroll in a new health insurance plan. Individuals who haven’t yet lost their insurance but know that they will lose it soon have 60 days before they lose their health insurance to enroll in a new plan.
During that 60-day window, Wisconsinites can work with an enrollment assister or an insurance agent for free to enroll in a new insurance plan through HealthCare.gov.
WisCovered.com also answers questions for consumers about their options under federal law to keep their employer-based health insurance by paying the full insurance premium for up to 18 months – called COBRA. But COBRA can be very expensive and may not be the best option for some individuals. Instead, Wisconsinites may be eligible for free coverage through BadgerCare or help paying for their premium with an individual plan from HealthCare.gov.
WisCovered.com is the result of a public-private partnership created by Governor Evers in 2019 in order to help make sure every Wisconsinite has access to affordable health insurance. The site was designed and built by the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance with the assistance of the OCI-DHS Health Care Coverage Partnership Marketing Workgroup. That workgroup includes the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, ABC for Health, Inc., Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Covering Wisconsin, Dean Health Plan, HealthWatch Wisconsin, Milwaukee Enrollment Network, Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, Next Step Insurance and Quartz Health Benefit Plans.
Author: News Desk
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