Selecting health insurance, whether from Medicare, Marketplace, private insurance, to qualifying for Medicaid, can be a challenging and confusing process. AAA staff have trained counselors and federally trained Navigators who can help you find the right option. AAA staff are unbiased and do not receive benefits/reimbursement for specific policies; they are here to help you find what is best for you!
Health Insurance Marketplace Navigators
The Health Insurance Marketplace (or Exchange) is a service that helps people shop for an enroll in health insurance. The Marketplace, also know as the Exchange, provides options for people who don’t have coverage through a job, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or another source that provides qualifying health
ma4 Navigators are federally trained, unbiased individuals who can help you compare health insurance plans, assist you with the online application process, and provide answers to your Marketplace questions year-round.
Navigators do not sell insurance or any other services, and Navigators never ask for money.
While you can enroll in the Marketplace without assistance, Navigator assistance is a free service provided by ma4.
Our federally trained Navigator Assisters are unbiased and are here to guide you through the application process and to:
- Assist with completing and submitting the application,
- Help you understand your coverage and insurance terminology,
- Explain benefits provided through the plans,
- Teach you how to maintain and maximize healthcare coverage;
- Provide help and guidance to navigate the health care maze.
ma4 has provided Federal Navigator services since the onset of the Marketplace with funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Navigators play a vital role in helping consumers prepare applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces and potentially qualify for an insurance affordability programs. Navigators operate year-round—providing confidential, free, unbiased support to help you compare insurance plans, assist with the online application process, and provide answers year-round. Navigators complete comprehensive federal Navigator training, criminal background checks, and state training.
Medicare
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You’re first eligible to sign up for Medicare three months before you turn 65. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Medicare is not free, and you need to consider plan coverage and prices before you enroll. If you don’t enroll on time during your initial enrollment period, you could face a penalty. Navigating your Medicare selection needs and priorities may feel overwhelming.
Timing is everything when you’re enrolling in Medicare and a lot depends on your specific situation. Turning 65 is a big life event, and thousands of baby boomers are doing it every day.
Medicaid
Beginning 10/1/21, the state of Missouri expanded Medicaid coverage to an estimated 275,000 individuals, following Missouri voters’ approval of the expanded program and a court ruling upholding it. Under the expanded program, an individual making $18,000 a year or less will receive healthcare coverage. A family of four is eligible if income is $36,000 a year or less. The new benefits will be provided via MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid insurance program.
The Navigator Project is supported by funding Opportunity Number CMS-CA-NAV-19-001 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.