During Open Enrollment, which took place between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31, OneWorld’s enrollment team helped 501 people access health care coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

In the final hours of Open Enrollment this year, OneWorld’s team worked until 9:30 p.m. in order to help people navigate the enrollment process until the last possible minute. The final consumer of the night left the office at 9:15 p.m., and she expressed her gratitude to Liliana Salgado, the OneWorld Certified Application Counselor who assisted her.

According to Salgado, the consumer was seeking affordable coverage through the marketplace, since it had been a few years since she had been able to go to the doctor for a checkup. She told Salgado that she had suffered many years of domestic violence, but even though she was finally free from that situation, she was still facing several challenges. Her daughter was recently injured, and the daughter’s husband was unable to come home, so she was worried about her daughter’s boys’ well-being while not being able to see their father. Salgado was able to enroll the woman in coverage, and she went a step further by connecting the woman to other community resources.

“She was beyond grateful for all I was able to help her with, and I was blown away by her courage and positivity with all that she had been through,” Salgado said. “She made me realize why I love this job and why it is so important to have people in positions like mine.”

Open Enrollment is a busy time for the enrollment team, but Salgado and her coworkers were well equipped to meet the challenge and to assist as many people as possible.

“People appreciate the fact that we can help them navigate the Marketplace website and can break down the insurance information that otherwise may be difficult for them to decipher,” Emilia Tamayo, Enrollment/Financial Services Manager, said.

Throughout this Open Enrollment period, 2,814 people sought help from the enrollment team. While 501 people were successfully enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace, the other consumers were assisted with Medicaid enrollment or other community services.

“The fact is that we are helping people who would otherwise not being getting assistance,” Tamayo said. “Consumers already know OneWorld to be a reliable resource; therefore, to be able to assist them with insurance feels only natural.”

With the support of philanthropy and federal resources, OneWorld’s enrollment team is available to assist anyone who needs assistance with enrollment and to answer insurance-related questions. OneWorld’s enrollment and financial services staff can be reached by
calling 402-502-8888.