Navigating Medicaid expansion eligibility

CAPE FEAR REGION, NC (WWAY)–On December 1st, North Carolina officially became the 40th state to expand Medicaid, and signing up for coverage can be overwhelming. 

WWAY is connecting you with one state agency that is making sure those who may be eligible get signed up before open enrollment ends. 

“Anyone who thinks that they’re not sure what their eligibility may be, they can give us a call or visit our website and we can certainly help you out,” said Sammy Leach, NC Navigator Consortium Communications Director.   

The NC Navigator Consortium is a statewide team of health insurance experts who offer free help to the more than 600-thousand people newly eligible for Medicaid since the state’s expansion of the program in December. 

The consortium also offers free aid to those who need help applying for or updating their healthcare.gov policy during open enrollment.  

“We set up these appointments so we can get people signed up whether they qualify for Medicaid or whether they qualify for just a marketplace plan, because open enrollment ends January 16, and we want to make sure people are signed up before open enrolment ends in a regular marketplace plan. But if you’re Medicaid eligible, you can sign up for Medicaid throughout the entire year,” said Leach.    

NC Nav helps people answer questions about open enrollment or NC Medicaid eligibility like what Medicaid expansion is, who it affects, how to enroll, and what folks should do if they are having trouble enrolling. 

“I found the navigator program to be priceless in helping me walk through what was the best scenario for me,” Consumer Jesse Wimberley.  

After his healthcare was dropped due to unforeseen circumstances, and while raising a son with type 1 diabetes, along with medical issues of his own, NC Nav was a game changer for Jesse Wimberley.  

“I think it’s just a win win. It’s great for the government programs because it gets higher utilization, and it’s great for the consumer like me, the citizen to be able to get the program that’s the best fit for us. So, I think it’s just a crucial and important partnership,” said Wimberley. 

WWAY is partnering with the “NC Navigators” for the free call-in event” Tuesday evening, January 9th, from 5 to 8pm. 

We’ll be helping viewers in the Cape Fear connect with experts to answer your questions about Medicaid and your eligibility. 

For more information on the service you can visit their website at ncnavigator.net.