CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With less than three weeks until the deadline to enroll in health insurance coverage, one organization that provides free enrollment assistance is seeing a decline in the number of people contacting the organization.
West Virginia Navigator offers certified health insurance navigators to help people enroll in the insurance coverage best suited for them. This year’s enrollment period began Nov. 1.
Jeremy Smith, the project director for West Virginia Navigator, did not have specific numbers regarding insurance enrollment, but told MetroNews on Tuesday there have been changes.
“We’ve probably helped 200 or 300 people sign up for a health insurance plan, but those numbers are a little bit down from last year,” he said.
Smith said the low enrollment numbers were due to the politicization of health care, noting efforts to change the existing law and efforts that could jeopardize coverage for pre-existing conditions.
“There’s still been quite a lot of confusion about what is available this year,” he said. “We’re doing our job and we’re educating people and helping them through the process, but it’s definitely a little bit concerning.”
The deadline for enrollment is Dec. 15. Smith recommended only purchasing insurance through healthcare.gov, as other websites offer “limited benefit plans” with limited coverage and unclear policies.
“We really want to make sure people are not putting it off and are being proactive and not waiting until the deadline,” he said.