May 11, 2021

Dear friends,

CCHCC is happy to announce that, recently, there have been expansions in health insurance coverage through both the Medicaid program and the ACA’s Marketplace! Subsidies on the Marketplace have now also been made MORE generous, and even if you already have a subsidy, you might want to see if you qualify for an even better subsidy! These expansions mean that we can get even more community members covered, more affordably! Please read on, and then help spread the word!

ACA Marketplace – Expanded Enrollment Period AND Increased Subsidies!
Did you know that the American Rescue Act included new, more generous benefits for the Health Insurance Marketplace (Healthcare.gov)?

The American Rescue Act created a new Special Enrollment Period until August 15, 2021! So, if you’d like a Marketplace plan (most people qualify for generous subsidies!) but missed the Open Enrollment Period at the end of last year, you now have new opportunities to sign up for a Marketplace plan, until August 15, 2021!

Also, the American Rescue Act increased the subsidies that people can qualify for – even those who already have a Marketplace plan and a subsidy! To benefit from these additional subsidies, you must redo your application to receive a new eligibility determination with the updated amount, otherwise you will receive your subsidy in the form of a tax credit when you file your taxes for 2021. You can contact CCHCC for help with this.

Medicaid – Expanded for Immigrant Seniors and into Post-Partum, following pregnancy!
If your income has gone down or if you have lost a job, you might be eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is a free health insurance program and you can submit an application at any time of the year on abe.illinois.gov. Or you can contact CCHCC for help with your application. Illinois Medicaid has also had some updates with increases in eligibility recently!

In December 2020, Illinois created a new Medicaid health insurance program specifically for immigrant seniors. That program is called Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and is for people 65 and over who are not eligible for Medicare or another type of health insurance coverage. You can learn more about this program by checking out our resource guide or by watching our video explainer (also available in Spanish).

Then, on April 12, 2021, Health and Human Services approved an extension of the Illinois Medicaid program for post-pregnancy. Instead of Medicaid ending after 60 days after delivery, the extension would allow previously pregnant participants to continue in the program for 1 year post-partum. This expansion is very important for addressing the racial disparities in maternal morbidity rates in the state; Black women are six times more likely to die of pregnancy related conditions than White women in Illinois. Read more about the extension here.

Do you need help?
If you think you might be eligible for one of these programs, have any questions, or need help scheduling a vaccine appointment please call and leave a message at (217) 352-6533 or email us at cchcc@cchcc-il.org.

Here is how YOU can help CCHCC!
You can help CCHCC by spreading the word about these expansions in health insurance coverage and subsidies – share this message on email, FaceBook, etc. to help get the word out to our community.

You can also help by making a financial contribution to CCHCC so that we can help as many community members to get covered as possible! You can donate by clicking the Support CCHCC! link below.

Support CCHCC!

Sincerely,

Champaign County Health Care Consumers