St. Louisans to Begin Enrolling in Health Insurance Marketplace

The federal government estimates that the approximately 20,000 residents in the City of St. Louis who do not have insurance will be able to get discounted coverage through the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace. Information released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week estimates that in St. Louis, a family of four earning $50,000 will pay $32 a month for the lowest premium coverage plan. 

“Unfortunately, a lot of people who are eligible to enroll in the Marketplace do not know about their options,” said Pam Walker, City Health Director. “That’s why the City and its partners are holding two enrollment sessions per week through the end of the year to help people understand their options and to get affordable coverage through the exchange.” 

The times and locations for the scheduled enrollment assistance sessions can be found online on the City of St. Louis homepage. 

“In addition to the opportunities offered through the Marketplace, we still need to expand and reform Medicaid in Missouri,” said Mayor Francis Slay. “We are at a crossroads in Missouri and in St. Louis. Going forward, if we choose wisely, we can expand access to health care, focus more Medicaid dollars on preventing illness, and reform Medicaid so taxpayer money is better spent. That’s why we will continue to work to convince the Missouri General Assembly to expand and reform Medicaid.” 

Information on the Marketplace is available today on healthcare.gov or covermissouri.org or by phoning the 24/7 call center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY 1-855-889-4325), where help is available in 150 languages. Consumers can apply and choose a plan from now until the end of March, with coverage beginning as early as January 1, 2014.