Legal Services Of Eastern Missouri Holding Two Free Events in November

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s www.lsem.org Marketplace Assistance Program (MAP) http://www.lsem.org/index.php/lsem-services/marketplace-assistance-program/ will be holding two free Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace) open enrollment events in November.

“We are pleased to be offering these two important healthcare events for the St. Louis area,” said Mary Sweet, Outreach and Enrollment Specialist for LSEM’s MAP. “The MAP program at LSEM continues to help consumers enroll and re-enroll for tax credits and health insurance through the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace.”

LSEM’s MAP events will provide enrollment assistance at the following locations:

Divoll Library, 4234 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63107, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 14.

Jefferson College Library, 1000 Viking Dr., Hillsboro, Missouri, 63050, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, November 18.

Open enrollment for the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace starts November 1, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. According to Enroll America, consumers who have in-person help filling out their Marketplace applications are two times more likely to enroll successfully.

“MAP helps people who are enrolling for the first time, and people who are already getting insurance through the Marketplace re-enroll in coverage,” Sweet said. “It is crucial for people who already have Marketplace coverage to go back each year and re-enroll, even if their household has not changed. Insurance plans and prices change every year, so we can help consumers make sure they are getting the correct amount of tax credits and the plan that best meets their needs.”

In addition, MAP can:

Help people keep their tax credits and health insurance once they enroll.

Help consumers understand the need to send documentation to the Marketplace and what documentation to send.

“If consumers do not send requested information to the Marketplace on time, they can lose their tax credits,” said Sweet. “It is another reason why in-person assistance is so important for consumers.”

If consumers cannot come into the LSEM office (4232 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, 63108), LSEM’s MAP can arrange meetings at times and locations that are convenient for them.

To schedule your appointment or to schedule an enrollment event for your organization, contact Mary Sweet at 314-256-8753 or mcsweet@lsem.org.

MAP is funded through a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health and is part of the Cover Missouri Coalition. For more information on in-person enrollment help in your area, visit covermissouri.org.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) has provided high quality legal assistance in civil cases to the low-income community for more than 50 years. In 2014, LSEM helped more than 16,000 people (including clients and their household members) in 21 counties of eastern Missouri. LSEM is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, and as a private, charitable non-profit, receives and appreciates financial support from members of the public. If you would like to support our mission, please visit www.lsem.org and click on “donate now.”