Free help with Obamacare open enrollment

GWINN — An open enrollment period for the Obamacare health insurance marketplace is underway across the country.

There are several places in the U.P. to turn for help with enrolling, and the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center is one of those places.

Since the enrollment period began on November 15th, the center has offered free information on available plans and free help with signing up for coverage.

“We have enrollment services available by appointment here (in Gwinn) and also at our Sawyer clinic,” Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center outreach and enrollment specialist Colin Jenkins said. “I am also available to go to places like libraries and restaurants, any place with a wireless connection, where I can meet with people and help them enroll.”

The enrollment period continues until February 15th. Jenkins is hosting open–enrollment help sessions at Marquette’s Peter White Public Library next Monday and on December 29th.

“If they want to get coverage on January 1st, they need to have their enrollment taken care of by December 15th,” he said. “After December 15th, they can still enroll, but the coverage will not start until February 1st.”

The center is also holding help sessions this weekend in the Copper Country.

It’s having one Saturday afternoon at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, and another Sunday afternoon at the Salvation Army Chapel in Hancock. The events are free of charge.