Media contact: John Peller FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 312-334-0921 July 24, 2013
Email: [email protected]
AFC Awarded Grant to Assist ACA Outreach and Enrollment
Health Insurance Marketplace Recruits AFC to Educate the Public on Health Care Options
CHICAGO – The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is proud to be among the 44 organizations, selected by the Quinn administration, to participate in the Affordable Care Act In-Person Counselor Grant Program (IPC Grant Program), designed to help uninsured Illinoisans navigate new health care insurance options.
AFC’s grant award of $650,000 will fund a network of agencies in Chicago, helping educate consumers about their choices under the federal Affordable Care Act.
“This is an amazing opportunity,” said John Peller, Vice President of Policy at AFC. “We’re really excited about the Affordable Care Act, but it’s confusing. A lot of people don’t know when to enroll, how to enroll, or what type of coverage is best for them. This grant will connect thousands of individuals with vital medical coverage.”
AFC is partnering with AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, Chicago House, Howard Brown Health Center, Thresholds, and the HIV Care Program of the Michael Reese Research & Education Foundation, located in Mercy Hospital & Medical Center. Together, we will outreach to vulnerable, uninsured individuals, including those with HIV/AIDS.
The aim of this effort is to educate people about the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid. Outreach workers will also help individuals enroll in appropriate coverage, beginning October 1. Pre-enrollment education, however, will begin this summer.
Select staff at these contracted partner agencies will complete the Illinois Assister Training program and receive certification.
“When it comes to HIV,” said Daliah Mehdi, Chief Clinical Officer at AFC, “continuity of care is key. If somebody is receiving treatment, we need to make sure that they continue to have access to high-quality care, otherwise they risk becoming resistant to lifesaving drugs. The more people we hire to connect individuals to health coverage through the Marketplace and Medicaid expansion, the smoother this transition will be.”
Click here to learn what other organizations will participate in the IPC Grant Program.
For more information about the intersection of HIV and the Affordable Care Act, visit HIVHealthReform.org.
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Founded in 1985 by community activists and physicians, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago is a catalyst for local, national, and international action against HIV/AIDS.
