BY JOHN MURAWSKI
jmurawski@newsobserver.com
Insurance companies and local nonprofits are preparing for an increase in last-minute interest in subsidized insurance on Monday as the first major deadline for entries is close to the Affordable Care Act .
Those who sign up for coverage by midnight will have health insurance starting Jan. 1, if they can get through the process without flaws. Triangle non-profit organizations that have formed insurance " navigators" for staff and councilors say that their appointment times are filling up quickly tutorial application for insurance.
Linda Cellars Durham , insured for the last three years, he had lost sight of health insurance after spinning the wheels on the federal crash- prone site - until the other day .
Cellars , a 53 - year - old laborer temperature was between insurance buyers last - minute this weekend at the Lincoln Community Health Center in Durham to explore health care options in advance of the deadline fast approaching .
After experiencing repeated failure and give up on the federal website , some candidates are coming back now that the site has been subjected to intensive repair and is more reliable . Navigators are trained counselors to explain the requirements of the law and coach people through the application process.
" I tried three or four times and then I kind of forgot about until yesterday ," said Federal Cellars portal . "It ' been a nightmare. "
Due to delays , the entries for the ' subsidized insurance have only recently got underway in earnest here . North Carolina is one of 36 states without its own health insurance exchange , depending instead on the federal market bug- riddled .
Too early to ' final judgment '
The failures have known of healthcare.gov back the timeline of federal insurance for about two months , and the term on Monday is being belittled by some as disappointing. Those who miss the deadline, or have not even found the time to think about it , you can still buy insurance until March 31 , the deadline for 2014 coverage , so there is no pressure to apply now .
" We will not be able to express a final opinion on the Affordable Care Act by the registration deadline December 23 ," said Adam Linker , a health policy analyst with the NC Justice Center , a public policy and lobbying organization in Raleigh . "Essentially you had just one month to join - if that."
More than 1 million people are eligible for subsidized insurance in North Carolina, but fewer than 9,000 subscribers until the end of November, according to federal data . Federal officials expect a surge of interest in the month of December, but nothing close to the original goals that had assumed a system of online application seamlessly from the beginning.
The first deadline , originally scheduled for December 15 and extended by President Barack Obama, is one of many that had to be delayed according to new federal insurance is commonly called " Obamacare . " Insurance companies have also agreed to accept payment of the first month for insurance from January 1 to January 10 to accommodate customers.
"A lot of people feel these deadlines are very fluid ," said Nyi Myint , navigator program coordinator at the Alcohol Drug Council of North Carolina . "There's a lot of wait - and - see."
A new policy of insurance does not kick in until the insurance company receives a prize. With the federal website there is still flaws , insurers are calling for extra staff to validate applications and to weed out the duds and duplicates it locks.
Federal law requires most Americans to have health insurance or face penalties that would be taken out of tax refunds . As most already have insurance through their employer , Medicare or Medicaid, the health care law has direct effect only to those who are uninsured or those who buy individual policies .
The law also provides federal subsidies for families within certain income levels. It prohibits insurers from charging women more than men, older customers by charging more than three times as much as younger customers , and from refusing to sell insurance to people with medical conditions pre - existing .
The ' Lincoln Community Health Center has processed more than 100 entries in recent weeks , said Ricardo Correa , outreach coordinator for the organization and registration. Correa said that a candidate will know his registration is successful when a bill arrives in the mail for the first payment.
Process ' complicated '
In a typical scenario , the site is working properly, it takes no more than an hour to process a registration, Correa said .
Linda Cellars was assured most of her life through her career as an administrative assistant , but lately has received medical care through the center of Lincoln from when he worked as a temp.
She is applying for several jobs and is expected to be taken in January and have insurance through his new employer. But she is applying for subsidized coverage only if those jobs fall through .
"There are so many options ," said the master plans . "You have to look at the deductibles , premiums and co- pays . Did not think it would be so complicated. "
Wineries would not disclose its annual revenue , but said he would be eligible for a grant . People qualify for insurance subsidies if their annual income is between $ 11.490 and $ 45.960 .
Grants are awarded on a sliding scale , with the most generous financial aid going to those with the lowest wages .
This means that Julia Corbitt Durham will only pay $ 10.27 per month in premiums for a plan for Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Value 3000 " silver" . Corbitt , 59, is a part-time worker preparing food in a day care center and was never assured.
But worries about coming up with a $ 500 deductible before your insurance starts covering her medical care. Corbitt has received medical care through the ' Lincoln Community Health Center , and said that sometimes can not afford the discounted fee of $ 20.
He discussed his situation , as he waited for his appointment at the center of Lincoln Navigator on Saturday. His bills include gas , water, electricity and cable TV , he said.
"How can I pay 500 dollars? Do not have all that money, " he said. "Obama is not thinking about those who are single , who have half the income and all the other bills . "
