Nancy Vaughan column: March events focus on health and wellness – The Herald Bulletin

2-1-1 Day is celebrated annually on February 11 to focus attention on the national 24/7 help line available by dialing 2-1-1.

Indiana 2-1-1 became a part of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) in July 2020, creating a one-stop center for social services offered by both government and nonprofit organizations. As part of this year’s celebration, FSSA released statistical data from 2-1-1 calls over the past year. Health care was the third most common area of inquiry after housing and utility assistance.

Madison County has typically ranked at or near the bottom of all Indiana counties in health behavior scores. This year, several organizations are partnering to offer more education, information and services to at-risk populations. Anderson’s west side is a target area due to its status as a food desert and having a higher number of uninsured people than the rest of the county.

Launched by The Gathering of the Queens Royal Sisterhood, an outreach event that includes food distribution and health services will be offered March 8 at the corner of Nichol and Raible Avenues in Anderson from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Other organizations supporting Health & Wellness Tuesdays are the Minority Health Coalition of Madison County, the Madison County Health Department and its mobile unit, and Covering Kids & Families (CKF) Coalition sponsored by Heart of Indiana United Way. These organizations will provide health screenings and vaccines, and navigators will be on hand to do health insurance enrollment.

Future Health & Wellness Tuesdays are planned at the same location and times on the second Tuesday of every month for the rest of 2022.

Also in late March, the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace will open a new Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for consumers who have an estimated annual income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Eligible individuals will be allowed to enroll or switch plans at any time during the year.

Previously, these individuals had to experience a qualifying event such as loss of insurance due to a change in employment or family status, to enroll outside of the annual open enrollment period. These restrictions still apply for individuals above the income cap.

The target audience for this outreach is low-wage workers who do not have employer-sponsored health insurance and earn above the limit for Medicaid/Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). In Indiana for a single individual, 150 percent of the FPL is $19,320 per year; for a family of four, it is $39,750.

Individuals who previously applied through the marketplace but didn’t qualify may be contacted directly via phone or email letting them know they may qualify.

Consumers can contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 or contact a local navigator through Covering Kids and Families (ckfindiana.org or 1-888-975- 4CKF) for assistance. Navigators can also assist during the Health & Wellness Tuesday events.

Heart of Indiana’s CKF Director Julie Barton is an experienced navigator and is available by appointment in Anderson, Alexandria and Elwood. She can be reached at 765-608-3062 or jbarton@heartofindiana.org.

Nancy Vaughan is chief operating officer of Heart of Indiana United Way. She can be reached at nvaughan@heartofindiana.org or 765-608-3061.