HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment Ends Jan. 15, 2022

NC Navigators are ready to help NC residents find quality, affordable health coverage

Raleigh, N.C. – The health insurance navigators of the NC Navigator Consortium remind North Carolinians that only two months remain to apply for affordable 2022 health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace®. While the 2022 Open Enrollment period for the Marketplace on HealthCare.gov will not end until Jan. 15, 2022, those who want their coverage to start Jan. 1, 2022, will still need to apply by Dec. 15, 2021. NC Navigator’s local team of federally qualified health insurance navigators are taking appointments (by phone, in person or virtually) to help consumers apply or update their Marketplace coverage. Appointments may be scheduled online at ncnavigator.net or by calling 1-855-733-3711.

Started in 2014, the NC Navigator Consortium is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of organizations whose health insurance navigators give peace of mind to those seeking free, unbiased help finding quality, affordable coverage. NC Navigators connect consumers to qualified health plans that provide essential health benefits and preventive care, in addition to mental health care, ER care and maternity coverage, not limited by caps or pre-existing conditions. These benefits are covered in all policies available on HealthCare.gov, the federal Health Insurance Marketplace® established by the Affordable Care Act. Tax credits and subsidies made possible by the American Rescue Plan have lowered premiums, making Marketplace plans very affordable.

“When choosing where to shop for health insurance coverage, North Carolina residents need to ask themselves, ‘Who is selling this to me,’ and, ‘Am I getting all the coverage I could?’” said Mark Van Arnam, director of the NC Navigator Consortium. “Our health insurance navigators make no commission, and are only interested in helping you find the most affordable, complete coverage available.” 

Though the Marketplace has increased access to health insurance coverage for millions, trying to enroll or update one’s coverage through the Marketplace can be confusing and overwhelming. Health insurance navigators help North Carolinians maximize their coverage by:

  • Taking time with them to help avoid mistakes
  • Showing all options, ensuring their providers are in-network
  • Explaining terminology and processes, increasing health insurance literacy
  • Assisting them with estimating their income for the year ahead, one of the most difficult parts of the HealthCare.gov application process

NC Navigators are available year round for questions and to address other issues like qualifying life events, special Open Enrollment periods and income adjustments.

The NC Navigator Consortium is the only federally funded entity of its kind in North Carolina, supported in part by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and Cone Health Foundation. Learn more at ncnavigator.net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Members of the Consortium are Access East, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNET, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Kintegra Health, NC Field and Pisgah Legal Services. The Consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube