Tri-Town reports healthcare applications up 400 percent over first quarter of 2015

Applications for healthcare through Tri-Town Community Action Agency increased 400 percent during the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, President and CEO Joseph DeSantis announced this week.

“Since the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2013, Tri-Town has helped nearly 3,000 local families get access to healthcare through our Navigator program,” DeSantis said. “During the 2015-16 enrollment period, we received 1,100 new applications for Medicaid coverage and subsidized policies through the state exchange.”

DeSantis attributed the increase in applications to reduced hours at the HealthSource Rhode Island call center and the elimination of customer service at the HSRI walk-in centers in Providence and Warwick, which resulted from a $22 million cut to the state exchange in the 2015-16 state budget. The walk-in center has since moved to East Providence.

“We did have some warning about the changes that HSRI made to its operations, and so we were able to handle the influx of applicants that resulted,” DeSantis said. “I credit our Navigators with going the extra mile and ensuring that every applicant got the attention they needed.”

Another factor in the enrollment hike, DeSantis said, was the new tax penalty imposed in 2016 for failure to have a healthcare plan, $695 per person or 2.5 percent of annual income.

“People realized that, instead of paying a penalty to the IRS, they could enroll in low-cost coverage and potentially save hundreds of dollars in medical bills,” he noted. “Ultimately, the enrollment system worked as it was designed – to identify eligible applicants, determine what they should have as far as healthcare, and get them enrolled as quickly as possible.”

Tri-Town Community Action Agency also operates Health Centers at its main location, 1126 Hartford Ave. in Johnston, and at the Community Center, 33 Maple Ave. in North Providence. All insurance plans are accepted. For more information or to set an appointment, call 401-519-1940.