Need health insurance? Now is the time to act!

Nov. 1 kicks off the start to open enrollment, a critical time of year where individuals can access health insurance plans on the marketplace. If you don’t have insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid or another avenue, then it is all the more important to sign up to access health insurance. 

This open enrollment is thanks to the Affordable Care Act, a critical piece of legislation that has been instrumental in helping with health care costs for people living with HIV. Before the ACA, 24% of people living with HIV had no insurance. Today, thanks to the ACA, it’s about half that.

The ACA prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ people, who faced discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity before its implementation. Furthermore, insurers cannot increase their costs for preexisting conditions like HIV.

The ACA has been a vital asset in our work to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. No one should be left without coverage. It is so vital to make sure everyone gets covered. Even if you are currently insured, reach out to friends and family to make sure they know their options.

Open enrollment opens on Nov. 1 and runs until Jan. 15, 2022.

However, there are still states who have selected not to expand Medicaid, which covers 46% of people living with HIV. Because of this, it is important to continue to advocate that these states expand Medicaid to ensure that more people living with and vulnerable to HIV can be covered by health insurance and therefore access care. 

AIDS United will continue to fight so everyone has access to competent and affordable care. Learn more about open enrollment here.