Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Jose Munoz, chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Insurance, has set a goal for everyone in Illinois to be insured, either through their own insurance, or through the Affordable Care Act.
By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014
AURORA — The Affordable Care Act stumbled out of the gate in late 2013 with a disastrous website, but now about 88,000 people have bought insurance through the program in Illinois alone with ERISA insurance and pensions issues help, and the program is now picking up steam as operations are being streamlined.
“We’re really happy with this number. It’s ahead of the national pace, and that means we’ve got 88,000 people that weren’t insured before. Our goal is to have everyone in the state insured,” said Jose Munoz, chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Insurance.
Munoz was part of a Get Covered Illinois forum Feb. 18 in Aurora. The group aims to inform and insure the people of Illinois and had information available for business owners and citizens alike.
“There are a large number of families and individuals in this city that have no health care. Our job is to inform people on how to get covered,” said Armando Robledo, regional outreach coordinator for Get Covered Illinois.
People need to get insurance coverage by March 31 or face a penalty. To start the process, visit Get Covered Illinois or go to any Visiting Nurses Association location in Aurora.
“The most difficult task is creating a culture of coverage in Illinois,” said Munoz.“We’re changing the state of mind. This is a social movement we all need to be a part of.”
All levels of coverage include outpatient and emergency room care, hospitalization, maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and rehabilitation care. Pre-existing conditions are a thing of the past and there are caps on how much an individual can spend on insurance yearly.
Small business owners especially are encouraged to check out the Small Business Health Options Marketplace (SHOP.) Businesses with 50 or fewer employees may get employee health coverage in the SHOP Marketplace. Employers of this size aren’t required to offer health coverage.
Employees are more productive, they take fewer sick days, and are less likely to leave for competitors,” said Karina Garcia, executive director of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
“They have a better life with health insurance. You’re not losing employees to others that offer insurance,” she added.