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...helping you make a more informed choice

By Christopher Mosley

As the new year approached Irecently joined thousands throughout the state in the time-honored tradition ofresolving to put my bad habits behind me, and commit to improving somecondition in my life in 2014.

My resolution: To focus onmy health and ensure that I, and those around me, have health insurance thatcovers our specific needs.

If you are anything like me,and you're looking to take better care of your health, and save money, there area couple things you should know.

First, and perhaps mostimportantly, it's not too late to sign up for health insurance through thenational health insurance exchange also known as Obamacare.

Second, the most importantdate to remember is March 31, 2014. After March 31, most people who have notsigned up and paid for health insurance will be subject to a penalty for notcomplying with the law.

Third, please remember that underthe Affordable Care Act, all health insurance policies must now meet a certainthreshold of services offered. This is good for consumers because it meansthere are more protections built into the system to ensure that we all receivethe insurance coverage we need, regardless of our condition. This new system includescoverage for mental health.

Lastly, you and your lovedones need to ask yourselves a couple of questions:

Are my doctor and hospitalincluded in the plan I'm signing up for? If you require a specialty doctor, orif you have a particular clinic you attend, make sure it is included in thenetwork covered by your new health insurance plan. Birmingham Health Care(BHC), for example, is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), meaning weprovide a wide range of services to a diverse population regardless of anyone'sability to pay. Most FQHC's will be included in the coverage network for newinsurance policies.Will my prescription drugsbe carried on the preferred drug list? Some policies may prefer generic drugsover brand name. Others will not make a distinction. At the end of the day,we're all different so it's important for you and your doctor to work togetherto determine which medications are best for you, and pick a plan that willcover these medications.How much will my prescriptiondrugs cost? You need to make sure they're available thorough your chosen plan,but you also need to make sure you can find a co-pay that will work with yourbudget. Different plans will have different co-pays.How much is your deductible?Just like with the prescription drugs, you need to make sure you find a planwith a deductible you can afford. Within the national insurance exchange,deductibles will vary based on the level of service you sign up for Bronze,Silver, Gold or Platinum level plans.Do you qualify forsubsidies? Individuals with incomes between 100 - 400% of the federal povertyline will qualify for help from the federal government reducing their out ofpocket monthly expense for health insurance in the new marketplace. This means Alabamianswith an annual income of between ,490 and ,960 qualify for subsidies.

No matter where you live in Alabama, if you havequestions or need help in applying for Obamacare please call application counselorsSequoia Benjamin at(205) 307-8902or Terri Gordonat (205) 305-8487, or Birmingham Health Care at(205) 439-7217.

(Christopher Mosley is an information/outreachand enrollment supervisor with Birmingham Health Care, Inc.)