An estimated 30 volunteers canvassed the neighborhoods in around Al Lopez Park and south of Gandy Blvd on Saturday morning, informing uninsured residents of the upcoming changes in health insurance brought upon by the Affordable Care Act.
The event is a part of a statewide effort by Get Covered America to educate the insured of the expanded options offered by the law, scheduled to be announced on October first and implemented January first of 2014, and how they are to go about obtaining them.
The upcoming expansions of the Affordable Care don't simply give healthcare to those who qualify. They offer grants to groups who then serve as a sort of gatekeeper to the insurance marketplace. The uninsured will have to seek a navigator before they can actually pick a provider and receive their benefits.
“Our goal is to inform,” said John Brushwood, Get Covered America's Regional Organizing Lead for West Central Florida, explaining his group's role. “There are actually 1.1 million Floridians who are uninsured (that would qualify under the ACA)... Our goal is to educate those folks on how to get to navigators. We've had some folks go out already and we've had some folks coming in and they've been going door to door and informing folks that October first begins pre-enrollment and that at that point they can go to a navigator and say 'I'm uninsured or I am insured but my premiums are too high and I want to see my other options'.”
This is the second canvassing event held by Get Covered America. A previous effort in Ybor City and its surrounding neighborhoods elicited was found to be well received by the group.
Volunteers that are canvassing were advised to take a simple and straightforward approach, to deal with the general skepticism that comes with knocking on a stranger's door.
“They all said after the initial knock on the door, people were really receptive,” said Shannon Almadrones, a Get Covered America field organizer for South Tampa and Pinellas. “It was all positive messages. It's a simple conversation. What we've been getting is that the simple message of we're just telling you to get to a navigator that will enroll you, is something people get... I have no skin in this game with what insurance you go with. I just want you to know that it's going to be there for you and I think most people respond to that well. Most people want to have insurance.”
The group also made clear that it is a non-partisan effort and not affiliated with any politician or party, despite the obvious connection with the agenda of President Barack Obama.
“We don't do any advocacy, so our focus is actually not on all of the Affordable Care Act and it's not for or against it, it's simply just about healthcare insurance marketplaces,” said Brushwood. “Just that part of the law”
Get Covered America has reached out to several local politicians on both sides of the aisle, at state and national levels. So far there are some preliminary plans to work together in reaching the uninsured.
Later in the day when Almadrones went canvassing as an example of what a volunteer would have to do, she found that some of the data supplied informing of uninsured households may have been outdated or incorrect. However, while those she spoke with were either already insured or in the process of obtaining it, most expressed appreciative sentiments and were positive in regards to their efforts.
Get Covered America plans to launch similar efforts in different neighborhoods as its volunteer base grows. It has plans to meet with groups that have similar goals such as SEIU 1199 and Tampa Bay Cares 211 and organizations that intend to become navigators in the future in an attempt to create a cohesive course of action.