Insurance navigators guide way to coverage

Legal aid group schedules events

Casey Trzcinski (right) with Legal Aid of Arkansas helps Patricia Ruan of Rogers obtain health insurance during an event on Wednesday at the Northwest Arkansas Community College Adult Education Center inside the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers.
Casey Trzcinski (right) with Legal Aid of Arkansas helps Patricia Ruan of Rogers obtain health insurance during an event on Wednesday at the Northwest Arkansas Community College Adult Education Center inside the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers.

BENTONVILLE -- About a dozen people crammed into a room on Northwest Arkansas Community College's Adult Education Campus in Rogers on Wednesday morning. The word "Obamacare" was recognizable as a woman spoke in Spanish to a group seeking information on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Casey Trzcinski, an attorney and navigator for Legal Aid of Northwest Arkansas, sat at a computer in the corner of the room. Her goal was to find an affordable health insurance plan for James McIver, who was laid off from Superior Industries International's plant in Rogers earlier this month.

Legal Aid of Northwest Arkansas employs two "navigators" who assist individuals with the process of enrolling in the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. Open enrollment for the marketplace began Nov. 15 and closes Feb. 15.

Navigators are licensed by the state. They are available to share information but are prohibited from recommending one plan over another. There are about 16 licensed navigators in the state. However, there are a number of other types of licenses people can earn to assist with marketplace enrollment in the state.

Legal Aid of Northwest Arkansas is holding several events to assist with enrollment throughout the region during the open enrollment period. McIver heard about the event Wednesday through an announcement on the college's intercom.

McIver, 47, said the event came when he needed it most.

"My wife looked at insurance options last night," said McIver of Decatur. "She sat down and bawled for a while when she saw we couldn't afford it."

The cost of medicine for McIver, his wife and son is too expensive for the family to afford without insurance, he said. McIver and his 14-year-old son both have high blood pressure. His wife has diabetes.

McIver worked in the Superior factory for 17 years. He said he was able to insure his family for a reasonable cost when employed by the automobile wheel manufacturer. He was laid off Dec. 1.

"My insurance ended on my last day of employment," McIver said.

Health insurance is not offered through McIver's wife's employer, he said.

McIver is currently enrolled in a GED program at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

Raised by migrant workers, McIver said as a child he was only enrolled in school for a few months out of each year. His goal was to provide a stable income for his family so that his children could receive an education. He was able reach that goal thanks to his job at Superior.

McIver plans to take classes that will provide job training after passing the GED. He hopes these classes will help him find another job that offers health insurance.

On Wednesday, McIver was working with Trzcinski to try and find a less expensive health insurance option.

"I am not good with computers," McIver said.

Trzcinski said their goal was to assist between 10 to 40 people enroll during the one-day event. Others will receive information about how to enroll in the future.

"Our goal is to reduce the number of uninsured people in Arkansas," Trzcinski said.

The organization also employs translators to help inform the Spanish-speaking population along with the Marshallese community about enrollment options, Trzcinski said.

Overall, 1,031 people are licensed in the state to assist the public enroll in the health care marketplace including agents and brokers who receive a commission from insurance companies who have plans in the marketplace along with certified application counselors who work for hospitals and other health-care providers.

Legal Aid of Arkansas received two grants to employ its navigators. It received a $32,000 grant from the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families along with a $27,183 grant from the Arkansas Navigator Coalition.

The Arkansas Navigator Coalition was one of two organizations in the state to receive federal funding for enrollment services. The coalition received the $744,000 federal grant in September. Enroll the Ridge Program in Jonesboro also received a federal grant.

NW News on 12/11/2014

Upcoming Events