ORLANDO, Fla. – Families shopping for health insurance met with navigators on Tuesday, getting their questions answered, but a lot of people say the government website for the Affordable Care Act has been user-friendly.
Sarah Herrera and her husband are shopping for health insurance. Sarah gets it through her job, but her husband is now part-time. He, like millions of others, are turning to the Health Insurance Marketplace. October 1 was the first day to enroll, but with a new health care system comes new questions.
"I'm not very educated on it, on the whole thing to be honest," she said.
That's why Anne Packham and the navigators were called in to help.
Because of the new law, almost all of the plans cover some level of care. In an effort to encourage people to be more proactive about their health, there is an emphasis on prevention and wellness care.
There are four plan options: platinum, gold, silver,bronze. People who make up to $45,960 can get money from the government to defray the cost of the insurance.
On the first day, the turnout was low at the Orlando Public Library as people were still trying to apply and see what insurance policy is best for them.
"Most people want to know how much I'm going to pay, so we've been directing them to Kaiser Family Foundation to get an estimate, before they even go on the Marketplace," Packham said.
Herrera says she plans on doing that, hoping for some relief for her family.
Navigators will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Orange County Public Library, the Osceola Council on Aging, Seminole Sharing Center and Catholic Charities at St. Luke Clinic.
The navigators will then be available by appointment. A navigator, however, is not necessary to enroll in the Marketplace.