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ELKINS -- Sites in five local counties will take part in the first annual Cover WV Day on Tuesday, helping raise awareness about how to get health coverage.
The event is dedicated to helping uninsured people in West Virginia find and enroll in health insurance.
The WV Primary Care Association, the WV Navigator Program, the WV Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and many other non-profit organizations and community health centers have joined to offer more than 30 locations across West Virginia for this one-day event.
Each location will offer walk-in hours where anyone can get questions answered or receive free help enrolling in health insurance. All locations will be staffed by certified assisters, such as health insurance navigators or certified application counselors who provide free help with Medicaid, CHIP, and Health Insurance Marketplace enrollments.
The Open Enrollment period for the Marketplace ends on Jan. 16, so this will be an opportunity for people to get free help before the deadline, officials said.
Local sites which will be offering information during Tuesday's event include:
Randolph County - The Elkins-Randolph County YMCA, located at 400 Davis Ave. in Elkins;
Barbour County - The Belington Clinic, located at 70 North Sturmer Street in Belington;
Upshur County – Community Care Buckhannon, located at 37 West Main Street in Buckhannon; and Community Care Rock Cave, located at 78 Queens Alley Road in Rock Cave;
Tucker County - Mountaintop Health Care, located at 30 Cortland Acres Lane in Thomas;
Pocahontas County - Community Care Marlinton, located at 821 3rd Ave. in Marlinton; and Community Care Green Bank, located at 4498 Potomac Highlands Trail in Green Bank.
More than 100,000 people, or about 5.9% of West Virginians, lack health coverage, officials said. Organizers aim to educate fellow West Virginians about the different options available to those needing health coverage.
WV Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace provide options for most people without coverage. Four in five people who get a plan on the Marketplace can qualify for plans starting at under $10/month this year.
"Most people will qualify for substantially lower costs this year if they get their insurance on the Marketplace," said Jeremy Smith of First Choice Services in Charleston. "We are urging people to look at the new plans and prices released this year. The plans are often more affordable than we have ever seen. Even if you have looked into insurance on the Marketplace in past years and were unhappy, you should look into it again this year."
Smith said getting help signing up is essential, as many people are overwhelmed by the options or may not realize how to shop for affordable health coverage.
"With so many experts partnering all over the state, we are hopeful that anyone who has questions or needs help will be able to get what they need by showing up to a Cover WV day location.," Smith said.
For more information or a list of site locations, please visit www.wvnavigator.com or www.wvpca.org.