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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Pandemic, Mental Health Continue to Fuel Rise in Health Coverage

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Thursday, September 23, 2021   

CAMDEN, Tenn. -- This fall during open enrollment, millions of Americans will sign up or switch their health insurance plan for the coming year.

For people with employer-provided coverage, open enrollment typically occurs within a two-week period between September and December. The Biden administration recently announced it's extending the open-enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act by thirty days, giving people more time to sign up for coverage amid the pandemic.

Ruby Kirby, CEO of Bolivar Hospital and Camden Hospital in West Tennessee, said more patients are struggling with mental-health issues as the coronavirus ravages rural communities and causes economic uncertainty.

"When you know a patient personally, or a family, it makes it doubly difficult," Kirby observed. "We spend a lot of time trying to manage the psychological and mental-health supports for these family members and physicians."

The coronavirus has appeared to spur more people to get health insurance. This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new data showing record-high ACA health-care enrollment through marketplace coverage as of August 2021, thanks to the six-month COVID-19 special enrollment period.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare employer and individual, said Tennesseans should anticipate what their expenses may be in 2022, such as having a surgery or pregnancy.

"We have seen an increased interest in mental-health needs lately," Randall noted. "That's another important thing to check on. Does your employer have an employee assistance program, and does the medical-plan benefits that they're offering have the mental-health coverage that you're looking for?"

Randall reported in addition to in-person care, many insurers have expanded their virtual health network of therapists and psychiatrists. She added some health insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, also offer advocacy services to help individuals find the right therapist and type of care.

Disclosure: United Healthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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