Trying to make the best health care insurance decisions for you and your family can be incredibly frustrating and confusing, which is why the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, and two additional Eskenazi Health Center locations, will host a special opportunity for Central Indiana residents to learn about and sign up for various health coverage plans on Enroll Indianapolis Day on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Whether you and your family are buying health insurance for the first time or you have questions about the wide variety of health care plans on the market today, you can find helpful advice on getting the most out of your health insurance choices by visiting with our experts during Enroll Indianapolis Day at Eskenazi Health.
With the open enrollment period for 2019 health insurance plans having already begun, three Eskenazi Health locations will be open and available from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, to answer questions and help with the enrollment process. These locations are the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital at 720 Eskenazi Ave., Eskenazi Health Center Forest Manor at 3840 N. Sherman Dr., and Eskenazi Health Center West 38th Street at 5515 W. 38th St. Free parking is available at each site.
Eskenazi Health has more than 100 certified application counselors available throughout the Eskenazi Health system to provide information and assistance for individuals and families helping them understand and select appropriate insurance coverage options.
During the open enrollment period, which closes Dec. 15, people may walk into any of the Eskenazi Health Center or Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center sites located throughout Marion County, as well as the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, for assistance. Here’s a link to our locations: www.eskenazihealth.edu/locations.
While discussing various health insurance plans with Eskenazi Health counselors, there are a number of factors you’ll want to focus on such as whether or not the plan you’re considering is a health maintenance organization (HMO) or a preferred provider organization (PPO) that will cover a certain amount of your expenses. In an HMO, you may only visit doctors you are under contract with, while in a PPO, you may see doctors outside the network you belong to, which is a more expensive plan.
You’ll also want to consider if your current provider is included in a plan you’re considering, what you’re payments will be, what your deductible will be, what your copayment will be and what will happen with your health insurance if you have to see a provider while traveling.
Eskenazi Health also has a staff of certified application counselors available through a toll-free phone number — 1-855-202-1053 — to answer questions and provide assistance. The public can also e-mail insurance@eskenazihealth.edu to receive help.
In addition to providing financial counseling, Eskenazi Health will also provide assistance with Gateway to Work education, portal login, and hours reporting during Enroll Indianapolis Day. Gateway to Work is a part of the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) that helps connect HIP members with job training, education, volunteer or work opportunities. For those members that are required to participate in the program, they will need to report the activity and the number of hours completed. During the Enroll Indianapolis Day, Eskenazi Health will have Gateway to Work partners on hand to help answer questions.
As always, if you are in need of a pediatrician for your child or a primary care physician for yourself or anyone else, please call 317-880-7666 or visit www.eskenazihealth.edu/doctors.
Dr. Nydia Nunez-Estrada
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Eskenazi Health Center North Arlington