The Deadline for Open Enrollment for Health Care Coverage is Saturday, December 15, 2018

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Dec 14, 2018, 19:25 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This year the Black Women's Health Imperative joined forces with other national organizations to help create awareness and outreach on the 2018 Open Enrollment period that ran from November 1, 2018 to December 15, 2018. The deadline is here.

Even with a reduction in the number of days to enroll and a significant reduction in government supported outreach, last year over 660,000 African Americans were among the 12 million people who signed up for ACA marketplace health plans during the 2017 open enrollment period in the 39 states that use the Healthcare.gov enrollment platform.

Health insurance coverage is important to addressing disparities in health outcomes among African-Americans. We hear story after story about Black women and their families trying to make it without health care coverage because they think it is financially out of reach. Without health coverage, people often forgo regular doctor's appointments, don't take necessary prescription medication, and delay care, resulting in emergency room visits and inpatient hospital stays that are expensive and often avoidable. Being covered is at the top of the list of ways that Black Americans can be healthier in 2019 and beyond.

Access to health care coverage helps to change the narrative around health, wellness and in many cases financial stability for Black America. We have already seen that people who were uninsured in 2013 and gained either marketplace or Medicaid coverage in 2014 were more likely than their counterparts who remained uninsured, to report having a usual source of care, receiving an annual checkup, and getting a blood pressure screening.

If you haven't enrolled take time to do so by midnight December 15 for coverage that starts January 1, 2019.

Here's what you need to know:

Financial help is available to make the coverage more affordable. 85 percent of consumers are eligible for financial assistance.
Go to healthcare.gov, to see the type of coverages. This year, it's easier than ever to shop on mobile devices.
If you prefer the phone, help is available 24 hours a day. Assistance is available in multiple languages. Call (800) 318-2596.

For more information on the Black Women's Health Imperative go to: www.bwhi.org

SOURCE Black Women's Health Imperative