With One Week Left to Sign Up for Health Insurance Through DCHealthLink.com, Mayor Bowser Urges Residents to Get Covered

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health Link are reminding residents that there is one week left to sign up for high-quality, affordable health insurance through DCHealthLink.com, the District’s online state-based health insurance marketplace. Open Enrollment is now open for DC individuals and families and runs through January 31, 2024. 
 
“There is still time to enroll in health insurance before the January 31 deadline. We encourage residents to visit DCHealthLink.com and select a health plan that is right for you and your family,” said Mayor Bowser. “In addition to our online enrollment service, there are a number of outreach events in the coming days where you can get in-person assistance enrolling in high-quality health plans.” 
  
DC Health Link is the District’s online state-based health insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act and managed by the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX). Since 2013, DC Health Link has helped hundreds of thousands of DC residents access affordable healthcare plans, reducing the number of uninsured residents by over 50% and ranking the District of Columbia with the second-lowest uninsured rate in the nation. During this time, DC Health Link plans have saved DC residents millions in healthcare costs.

The following free, in-person enrollment events will be held for residents to attend and get enrolled in health plans before the January 31 deadline: 

Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened Enrollment Days: Those who are Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened can sign up to attend an in-person enrollment day with DC Health link. The event will include free expert enrollment help from DC Health Link, certified assisters, and support from ASL interpreters. No registration is required to attend.

• When: Wednesday, January 24 @ 10 am – 2 pm and Saturday, January 27 @ 1: pm – 4 pm. 
• Where: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (901 G Street NW, Room 202M) 

Drag Yourself to Better Health: Come to DC’s only Black LGBTQ+ night club and to Pitchers DC to learn how to get enrolled in quality health insurance before the January 31 deadline. The two events will include performances by drag artists and the opportunity to learn more about enrolling in health insurance. 

• When: Thursday, January 25 @ 8 pm – 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Thurst Lounge (2204 14th Street Northwest)
• Register to attend HERE. 

• When: Friday, January 26 @ 8:00 p.m. – 10 pm. 
• Where: Pitchers DC (2317 18th Street NW) 
• Register to attend HERE. 

Faith-In Action Sunday: Join DC Health Link, pastors, and clergy leaders for two events that will offer residents a worship service and ability to learn more about enrollment and get questions answered. 

• When: Sunday, January 27 @ 10 am – 1 pm, activation at 11:30 am. 
• Where: Union Temple Baptist Church (1225 W Street SE) 

• When: Sunday, January 27 @ 10:45 am – 1 pm. 
• Where: Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church (3000 Pennsylvania Avenue SE) 

Barber and Beauty Day: DC Health Link, in partnership with local beauty and barber shops, will be distributing DC Health Link Open Enrollment information along with branded promotional products to encourage the uninsured to get insured. DC Health link certified assisters will be onsite to answer questions regarding enrollment during the following events:

• When: Saturday, January 27 @ 10 am to closing. 
• Where: National Harbor Barber Shop (8 Elmira Street SW) 

• When: Saturday, January 27 @ 12 pm – 3 pm. 
• Where: Midtown Barbershop (120 Kennedy Street NW) 

Enrollment Marathon Weekend: From January 25-28, DC residents are invited to enroll at in-person enrollment events taking place this weekend, where they will receive free expert enrollment support:

• Ben’s Chili Bowl (1213 U Street NW) – Saturday, January 27 & Sunday, January 28 from 11 am to closing.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (901 G Street NW) – Saturday, January 27 from 1 pm – 4 pm. 
• Our Lady Queen of the Americas Catholic Church (2200 California Street NW) – Sunday, January 28 from 9 am – 1 pm.

In addition to the community enrollment centers listed at DCHealthLink.com/enrollmentcenters, the following enrollment centers will be open next week to assist residents in enrolling in health plans: 

• Community of Hope- Family Health and Birth Center (801 17th Street NE) – Open Monday- Thursday from 10 am – 3 pm. 
• Leadership Council for Healthy Communities (702 15th Street NE) – Open Monday- Thursday from 10 am – 4 pm. 

“I would encourage all District residents to act fast and to go to DCHealthLink.com, where they can find premiums as low as $13/month,” said Executive Director of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) Mila Kofman. “Residents should also look into our DC Health Link standard plans designed to address disparities for patients with diabetes by eliminating out-of-pocket costs and kids needing mental and behavioral health services by reducing out-of-pocket costs to $5.”

This year, there are 27 private insurance options available from CareFirst BCBS and Kaiser Permanente for individuals and families on any budget. Additionally, DC residents will see greater savings—estimated at almost $36 million dollars—following investments from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022. 
 
Eligible District residents can enroll in a health insurance plan online through DCHealthLink.com, or by calling 855-532-LINK [5465]. The DC Health Link call center is available Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm with extended hours to 9:00 p.m. on January 16 and 31. Small businesses can enroll through DCHealthLink.com throughout the year.

Residents can also get assistance with enrolling by using the Virtual One Touch Enrollment Center. Individuals can schedule a virtual appointment at dconetouch.setmore.com or by calling 1-855-532-5465. During the virtual appointment, residents will receive free expert enrollment support, ID proofing and verification services, case management assistance, and multilingual translation services (Spanish, Amharic, French, Korean, and Chinese).
 
In-person enrollment at storefront enrollment centers are also available with support from certified and trained assisters and licensed health insurance brokers who will help residents navigate the enrollment process and select from various health insurance plans. Residents can find and contact enrollment centers near them by visiting dchealthlink.com/enrollmentcenters.
 
DC Residents can also visit DCHealthLink.com to shop, save and compare plans, and get covered today. 
 

There are no public events scheduled.

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