OHI Offers Free Services to Help the Public Enroll for Health Insurance
If you haven’t enrolled yet for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, your window of opportunity is closing. The deadline to enroll is March 31. Until then, you can get free assistance and free advice for non-clinical services from bilingual certified application counselors and certified navigators in the OHI (Ocean Health Initiatives) Health Exchange Marketplace at OHI, a federally qualified health care center.
Make an appointment between 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during January, February and through March 31, 2014 as follows:
1. Toms River, 301 Lakehurst Road: Mondays and Thursdays
2. Lakewood, 101 Second Street: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays
3. Manahawkin at 333 Haywood Road: Tuesdays
Beatriz C. Patino, the coordinator of the Health Exchange Marketplace Department, and Carmen E. Lopez and Sasha Andino, associates, and other qualified staff will answer questions, explain any changes, and help individuals sign up for health insurance at no charge. Only non-clinical services are free of charge.
To date, OHI counselors and navigators have assisted 3,194 individuals. With the assistance of a trained worker, 334 individuals have received eligibility determination and 268 individuals have enrolled in a qualified health plan or Medicaid.
For appointments and questions, call Health Exchange Marketplace Department at 732-363-6655.
About Ocean Health Initiatives
OHI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health center (FQHC) with locations at 101 Second Street, Lakewood; 301 Lakehurst Road, Toms River; 333 Haywood Road, Manahawkin; Clifton Avenue Elementary School, 625 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood; and the Mobile Medical Unit outside the George J. Mitchell Elementary School, 950 N. Green Street, Little Egg Harbor.
OHI provides comprehensive preventative and primary health and dental care to Ocean County uninsured and underinsured populations on a sliding-fee scale, based on an individual’s or family’s ability to pay. Services include pediatrics, maternal and child health, prenatal, WIC, universal immunizations, behavioral health, dental, family medicine, internal medicine, OB/GYN, podiatry and social services.
OHI has a bilingual staff available to assist patients and callers. To become a patient of OHI, call a representative in the Call Center at either 732-552-0377, Toms River, or 732-363-6655, Lakewood. Visit www.ohinj.org. for further information.