SEARHC provides sign-up help for Affordable Care Act coverage

The deadline is approaching to sign up for federally subsidized health insurance in 2025 through the Affordable Care Act, now in its 15th year.

SEARHC — just as it has done for the past decade — is offering free assistance for Southeast Alaska residents who need help navigating the online marketplace to choose the best coverage for themselves and family members.

And even though tribal members receive free health care services at SEARHC through Indian Health Service funding, they can benefit from the additional coverage provided by an insurance policy, explained Susan Briles, manager at SEARHC’s patient health benefits program.

A private insurance policy can cover services not provided under the Indian Health Service, she said. “Additional coverage expands options and services available to you,” her office explains on its website. “Our team can help find the right coverage fit for you.”

SEARHC will even pay the monthly insurance premium for eligible tribal members, providing them with expanded protection against health care expenses at no cost. The Tribally Sponsored Health Insurance Program already serves several hundred Southeast Alaska residents with free insurance to supplement their Indian Health Service coverage, Briles said.

Briles, and her staff of six, can help people do the math, look at the options at healthcare.gov and determine the best policy to meet their needs.

Hillary Russom, from SEARHC’s patient benefits office in Sitka, will be in Wrangell Nov. 19-22 for in-person help sessions. Briles expects the appointment calendar that week will fill up fast. She said anyone who wants to get on Russom’s schedule should call the Wrangell Medical Center at 907-874-7000 to request an appointment.

Help also is available over the phone from the patient benefits office at 855-966-8684.

Federal subsidies for private insurance policies under the 2010 Affordable Care Act are based on age, income and how many people are in the household. The subsidies are available only for people without access to health insurance through their employer, and who are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

As of 2022-2023, more than 400 Wrangell households were on Medicaid, meeting the low-income qualifications for the federally and state-funded free health care coverage.

For those who qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies for private insurance policies, “the lower your income the higher your subsidy … therefore, the cost of your insurance goes down,” Briles said.

“You could have someone get a Bronze Plan for as low as $2 (a month) or a Gold Plan for $140. Depending on what your health care needs are, we can help you pick the best plan for you,” she said in an interview with the Sitka Sentinel.

The enrollment deadline is Dec. 15 for coverage to start Jan. 1. Sign-up after Dec. 15 means the coverage will not start until Feb. 1. The deadline to apply for coverage for 2025 is Jan. 15.

Currently, 15 plans are available through the two companies participating in the Alaska health insurance marketplace: Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska and Moda Health. “The pricing and subsidies look the same as last year,” Briles said.

The Sitka Sentinel contributed to this report.