Consortium of PA Mental Health Organizations Begin Year Two of Health Insurance Marketplace Navigator Program to Help People with Mental Health Service Needs Enroll in Health Insurance Marketplace

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service has again awarded a consortium of Pennsylvania mental health organizations a grant to continue the successful Health Insurance Marketplace Navigator Program.  The grant provides funding for another year of the program, which supports individuals across PA who need help navigating the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Comprised of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association (PMHCA), Mental Health Association in PA (MHAPA), Mental Health America of Westmoreland County (MHAWC), and the Advocacy Alliance, the consortium has trained Navigators to help anyone who needs health insurance, including individuals who are looking specifically at behavioral health coverage.

Navigators helped approximately 1,400 people enroll and provided thousands of Pennsylvanians with information about using the Marketplace to obtain insurance.

The Health Insurance Marketplace helps people find health insurance coverage that fits budgets and needs. It is part of the landmark Affordable Care Act, which requires all Qualified Health Plans to provide behavioral health services, a positive approach for people who previously did not have insurance coverage for all aspects of their healthcare needs.

People throughout Pennsylvania can reach trained navigators to help them determine their eligibility for and enroll in insurance plans available on the Marketplace. Anyone in Pennsylvania may contact these Navigators for assistance, whether or not they are looking for insurance that specifically covers behavioral health needs.  Open enrollment for the 2015 plan year begins November 15, 2014.

Navigators can be reached at 1-855-274-5626 (toll free). Contact information for Navigators serving different regions of the state is available at www.pmhca.org.   

Language interpreter services are available. The TTY number for people who are deaf or hearing impaired is 1-877-962-5593.

About the Health Insurance Marketplace
With one application to the Marketplace, people can access all plan options and enroll in health insurance plans. Every plan in the new Marketplace offers essential health benefits, including doctor visits, preventive care and wellness services, hospitalization, prescriptions, and mental health and substance abuse disorder services, including behavioral health treatment.  Visit www.healthcare.gov for more information. 

SOURCE Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania