Confusion, High Costs Confront Latest Obamacare Enrollment Push

Natasha Thomas has some cancer in the family, so the 29-year-old Newark resident recently went to a doctor for a routine pelvic exam.

"It cost me $80 or so, and I paid it myself," Thomas said. "That's a lot of money for me, but it's a lot better than paying $200 a month."

That's what Thomas said a private health plan would cost her on the federal insurance exchange, the last time she looked. She makes about $40,000 a year, but because she's a bartender, her income is often unpredictable. She looked into getting Medicaid, which has no monthly premiums.

"I called in, and they said I was overqualified," Thomas said.

Starting this week, federal health officials are hoping to entice more people like Thomas to get covered. The annual open enrollment period is now underway for coverage in the coming year.

“Those who are still uninsured are going to be a bigger challenge” than in the first two years of the program, said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Surveys suggest many of the uninsured do not understand how a system of federal subsidies can make the often expensive insurance premiums more affordable. HHS plans to spend $67 million nationwide to help local governments and non-profits hire more "navigators" to spread the word and help people enroll. Washington will also buy $35 million worth of advertising in various media, including radio, television and newspapers.

In northern New Jersey, HHS will also open two walk-in centers for people to purchase insurance. It's one of five regions the federal government targeted for this third enrollment period.

East Orange resident Vernon Thomas (no relation to Natasha) lost his full-time job earlier this year, but his part-time wages also overqualify him for Medicaid. He, too, looked briefly into Obamacare but found the paperwork daunting.

If he'd looked more closely, he'd have discovered he did not need to wait for open enrollment, because the change in job status allows people to purchase coverage year-round. He'd also have found that his new income level most likely qualifies him for generous subsidies.

"I have an appointment, and I'm going in on Tuesday, and I hope they have good news for me," Thomas said.