Austin Health Officials Urge Affordable Health Care Enrollment

AUSTIN, TX — Local health care organizations are reminding Travis County residents to sign up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace given a looming deadline.

The open enrollment period for health insurance coverage for 2021 ends on Dec. 15.

Central Health, Central Health-funded CommUnityCare Health Centers, Foundation Communities and United Way 2-1-1 are teaming up to encourage anyone who is lacking health insurance to call and find a health insurance coverage solution that works best for them and their families, officials wrote in an advisory.

En español: Fecha Límite Para Registro En Affordable Care Act Se Acerca

Officials have recruited an Austin musician and cancer survivor who obtained coverage through the marketplace in urging others to sign up before the deadline. Sevylla del Mazo, a percussionist and performance artist, was uninsured when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, officials noted. With some help from Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and Foundation Communities, she got coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace that paid for her extensive cancer treatments, officials said.

“We are all more at risk during the pandemic and it is a huge relief for me to know that I have insurance coverage,” del Mazo said in a prepared statement. “There's no way as a single mother and as a musician that I would have ever come out of debt to pay for my cancer treatments without insurance. I would say to anyone that doesn't currently have insurance or who hasn't enrolled in the marketplace to do it right now.”

Anyone with questions about the Affordable Care Act and eligibility can call 2-1-1. Those who need help enrolling are urged to visit Foundation Communities website and complete the online form so a member of their team can get in touch on or by Dec. 15.

Statistics speak to the need for robust enrollment. Texas has the highest rate of people living without health insurance in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Travis County, the Bureau reports 14.8% of the population – or 188,550 people – are uninsured. This year, Families USA revealed an estimated 659,000 Texans have lost their healthcare coverage due to the pandemic.

More than 8 million Americans signed up for ACA coverage in 2020, health officials noted. In Texas, there were just over a million people who enrolled, making it the first enrollment increase the state had seen in four years, according to the Health Insurance Organization, officials added.

“We’re recommending people schedule an appointment now so there is plenty of time to go over details and options for coverage before the Dec. 15 deadline,” Aaron DeLaO, director of Health Initiatives with Foundation Communities, said in a prepared statement. “Going into the holiday season with health insurance secured for the next year can provide added peace of mind during a time of uncertainty.”

Health plans offered on the Marketplace must cover the same set of 10 essential health benefits, officials stressed, ranging from outpatient care to hospitalization to prescription drugs. Additionally, health officials added, Marketplace plans cover treatment for pre-existing medical conditions and can’t terminate coverage due to a change in health status, including diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19.

Foundation Communities is currently accepting appointment requests. For more information on enrollment and to schedule an appointment, visit Foundation Communities, or call (512) 381-4520.