Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Affiliates Gear Up For ACA Open Enrollment

With the next Affordable Care Act open enrollment period beginning on Saturday, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide are gearing up to help ensure women and families have the information they need to enroll in affordable health insurance plans on the Marketplace, with enrollment events and new digital tools on the organizations’ English and Spanish-language websites.

“As the leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood is proud to help women – and their families – without insurance figure out what to consider in choosing a health insurance plan, how to get help paying for it and how to sign up,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Thanks to Obamacare, millions more women can get the care they need, including birth control, cancer screenings and other preventive services without a copay.”

The next open enrollment period will run from November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015. If you don’t have health insurance and you fail to sign up between November 2014 and February 2015, you will likely have to pay a fine. Take the time now to figure out what’s most important to you in a health insurance plan – and what kind of financial help you can get at Planned Parenthood’s English and Spanish websites (PlannedParenthoodHealthInsuranceFacts.org or PlannedParenthoodAsegurate.org), which provide an overview of what the ACA, often referred to as Obamacare, means for women, a glossary of important terms related to the law and health insurance, a calculator that helps visitors get a sense of what kind of financial help they can get, and specifics on what to consider as a woman choosing a health insurance plan.  It also features a widget that allows visitors to find in-person assistance near them, and schedule an appointment online with a certified helper.

“The health care law can be confusing, and not surprisingly, many women have a lot of questions about it.  PlannedParenthoodHealthInsuranceFacts.org is a one-stop shop for women to learn more about health insurance, what kind of financial help they can get, and what to consider as a woman while choosing a health insurance plan,” said Richards.  “They can also begin the enrollment process right on our web sites, or if someone is looking to find in-person help, they can easily make an appointment at PlannedParenthoodHealthInsuranceFacts.org.”

Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country are also participating in “Open Doors for Open Enrollment” events this weekend, where Planned Parenthood clinicians, educators and volunteers are ready to help women figure out what the law means for them and how to find a plan that works best for them. With research showing that Latinos who enrolled last year used in-person assistance at higher percentages than other groups, Planned Parenthood affiliates will again participate in “Latino Enrollment Summits” with partners on the ground in select cities, as well as “Healthy Neighborhood Canvasses,” where participants will be speaking with communities about the importance of getting health insurance and giving people the information they need to get enrolled.

Background:

Getting insurance means you can see a range of health care providers when you need to and thanks to the ACA, millions of women now have access to birth control, routine well-woman exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and mammograms for women over 40, without copays or other out-of-pocket expenses.  As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood knows firsthand how important affordable basic health care is for women and their families.  And just like the first enrollment period, Planned Parenthood is here to help women and their families take charge of their health by signing up for an affordable health insurance plan.

More than 48 million women have already benefited from access to fully covered women’s health services thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s preventive health benefits.  One in seven ACA Marketplace enrollees is a women between the ages of 18 and 34 and millions of women now have access to birth control, routine well-woman exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and mammograms for women over 40 without copays or other out-of-pocket expenses.

If you are a member of the media and would like to speak with a Planned Parenthood spokesperson about open enrollment, please contact the Planned Parenthood media office at 212-261-4433 or media.office@ppfa.org.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With approximately 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.