Community Council Warns of Health Care Enrollment Deadline

  DALLAS, TX - 09/01/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Dallas-based nonprofit Community Council is taking steps to make sure consumers are aware that the open enrollment period for obtaining health care insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange begins on Nov. 1— two months from today. And unlike last year, the general public only has 45 days to obtain coverage before the open enrollment deadline, Dec. 15.

“Despite efforts to repeal and replace provisions of the Affordable Care Act it remains the law of the land at this time,” stated Ken Goodgames, CEO of Community Council of Dallas. “But what many consumers may not realize is that the open enrollment date has been moved up and the window of opportunity to obtain coverage has narrowed. It’s important that we reach as many people as possible and update them as to these changes.”

The Community Council of Dallas devotes a division of its organization, Community Health Services, to educating, navigating and signing up consumers on the health care exchanges. Its staff consists of several certified Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) advisors. To date, it is estimated that the Community Council helped over 8,000 North Texas families and over 10,000 children sign up for coverage.

The Community Council is also in the planning stages for several events during the shortened enrollment period designed to increase awareness, encourage appointments and sign up as many consumers as possible. Community Council Navigators provide health insurance assistance to people in 19 North Texas counties, through partnerships with other agencies in their coalition. These coalitions cover Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise counties.

The Community Council’s health care navigators set appointments at a time and location convenient for consumers. These appointments are designed to be convenient to consumers in safe, public areas such as libraries, coffee shops, and community centers. Appointments are available during daytime hours, evenings and weekends. Bilingual navigators are also available.

Consumers looking to secure health care coverage during the open enrollment period beginning Nov. 1 and ending Dec. 15 should make an appointment with a certified Community Council Health Care Navigator by calling toll-free 1-844-831-9600 or by visiting www.ccadvance.org.

About Community Council

Since its founding in 1940, the Community Council has identified services that are needed in the community, assessed how best services could be delivered to meet social issues, and mobilized and implemented action plans working in concert with its member agencies and public sector resources. The nonprofit agency is primarily dedicated to specific causes that affect the youth, seniors and working families of North Texas. For more information, please visit www.ccadvance.org.

OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME: The Community Council serves the community by providing leadership in: (1) determining solutions for priority issues in the human services arena; (2) convening partners to significantly impact service delivery; and (3) increasing awareness of and access to services.

Community Council Media Contact:
Jeffrey Cheatham
Account Supervisor
TrizCom PR
Office: 972-247-1369
Mobile: 972-961-6171
jeffc@trizcom.com