Hattiesburg nonprofit to provide help for ACA market place enrollees

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - This is a press release from Health Help Mississippi.

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program’s consumer assistance program, Health Help Mississippi, has been awarded a grant to assist Mississippians with obtaining and maintaining health insurance coverage.

The project is funded by a 3 year, $1.2 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan and will focus on helping consumers in the Greenville, Hattiesburg, and Jackson areas. As a result of the Affordable Care Act, there has been a significant increase in the number of Mississippians with health insurance.

However, many consumers enrolled in the HealthInsurance Marketplace are unfamiliar with the policies and procedures of health insurance coverage. Health Help Mississippi’s project will help these new enrollees by providing them with information about how to best use their coverage and will also help them if they encounter problems using their health insurance.

In addition to helping Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees best use their insurance, Health Help Mississippi will also provide assistance to families with children enrolled in the Medicaid and CHIP programs. “Anyone who has had health insurance, whether it’s from a job, Medicaid, the Marketplace, or another source, knows that insurance can be difficult to use and understand. We want consumers to know that they are not alone and that we are here to help if they have questions,” said Debbie Smith, Program Manager of Health Help Mississippi’s Hattiesburg office.

Health Help Mississippi’s Hattiesburg office is located at 4900 Old Highway 11, Suite 4. Consumers can visit the office in person, or call 601-264-8686 for assistance.