January 15, 2016

Secretary Burwell Visits Indy During ACA Enrollment

Health and Human Services secretary Sylvia Burwell, center, holds a roundtable talk on the Affordable Care Act at the United Way in Indianapolis. On the left is Rep. Andre Carson (D-Indianapolis) and right, Kathleen Folk.  - Ryan Delaney/WFYI

Health and Human Services secretary Sylvia Burwell, center, holds a roundtable talk on the Affordable Care Act at the United Way in Indianapolis. On the left is Rep. Andre Carson (D-Indianapolis) and right, Kathleen Folk.

Ryan Delaney/WFYI

INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services was in Indianapolis Friday talking to Hoosiers enrolled in the Affordable Health Care Act or A-C-A. The visit comes before the 2016 enrollment period ends January 31.

Secretary Sylvia Burwell took a tour of United Way of Central Indiana's 2-1-1 ‘Connect To Help’ call center, before sitting down to share stories about health coverage.

"You know I’ve meant the person that before the ACA delayed their chemotherapy because they had an annual limit; their kids at the age of 15 you’d maxed out your insurance for a lifetime."  Said Burwell.

Lifetime and annual limits ended when the Affordable Health Care Act, ACA, went into effect. Her visit is part Obama's Cabinet in Your Community initiative to highlight the Administration's achievements. The Secretary pointed to changes like continued coverage for people up to 26 on their parents plan, paid wellness visits and preventative services as benefits of the act.

Erin McDonald was on a community roundtable with Burwell.  She stayed in a job she didn’t like to keep her insurance and now on ACA and she says pleased with her service.

"I had an issue last year when my subsidy went away and she even got me into a less expensive plan with better coverage." Said McDonald.

Nearly 18 million Americans have become covered since the ACA went into effect. The deadline to start coverage by Feb 1 is midnight tonight.

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