skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

At dueling rallies, Harris stresses unity as Trump attacks Biden's 'garbage' remark; Survey: Election poses a threat of business disruptions; WI's voter ID law can be a nightmare for student voters; Right-wing comedians gain ground in conventionally liberal spaces.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Donald Trump responds to Biden's 'garbage' comment. Hispanic Americans are outraged by insults about Puerto Rico, and climate-smart technology could be a key election issue.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Montana court will decide the fate of a climate lawsuit brought by youth, housing for working families could boost jobs in the Northeast, and a Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others.

Wyoming 211 connects callers with health insurance help and more

play audio
Play

Tuesday, October 29, 2024   

A Wyoming helpline connects callers to a variety of health and human services, including help with health insurance during open enrollment.

Olivia Schon, deputy director of Wyoming 211, said the service fields 20 to 30 calls a day. Specialists then connect callers with appropriate resources from a database of nearly 3,000 options, ranging from small nonprofits to state and federal programs.

Schon pointed out the top issues people call about are rent and utility payment assistance programs, food insecurity and transportation to health providers. She noted initial conversations often unveil more areas in which the caller can use assistance.

"We average four times the amount of referrals going out based on phone calls coming in," Schon reported. "They call with what their first issue is and then they leave with more than one solution to other problems that they also have going on."

When callers need assistance enrolling in health insurance, they're connected with Wyoming 211's "sister program," Enroll Wyoming. Open enrollment starts Friday.

The rate of health insurance enrollment in Wyoming through the marketplace has increased 75% since 2020, according to KFF. In a round of federal funding announced in September for health insurance navigators, Enroll Wyoming received a $1.5 million grant to continue offering its services for free.

Caleb Smith, marketing director for Enroll Wyoming, said making important decisions around health care can be intimidating.

"It doesn't hurt to have somebody who's on your side," Smith explained. "Who's willing to act as an advocate for you to make sure that you have your questions answered, that you have what you feel like you need to be able to make an informed, empowered decision."

Wyoming 211 is available by dialing 211 from any phone in the state.

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


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park is home to more than 50 species which are threatened, endangered, sensitive or otherwise of concern. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

This week, more than 100 Californians are in Cali, Columbia, for the 16th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity. Tribes, policymakers …


Social Issues

play sound

Florida is expecting a high voter turnout for next week's election and election officials are working urgently to make it happen, addressing the …

Social Issues

play sound

Many voters in New Mexico are wondering why former President Donald Trump plans tomorrow's visit to a state where polls showed a firm Democratic lead…


Michigan has become a strategic choice for battery and automotive component production, due to its strong automotive workforce and technical infrastructure. (Darunrat/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Advocates of electric vehicles are countering what they call misleading claims about the effects of EV production in Michigan. Critics of electric …

Social Issues

play sound

By LaVerne Whitebear for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News…

Conservation experts say less than 7% of the acreage within Wisconsin's Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has old-growth forest characteristics. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

CORRECTION: In the second paragraph, the term "mature forests" was replaced with language to more accurately describe the lands connected to the …

Social Issues

play sound

Pennsylvania is facing what children's advocacy groups call a historic child care crisis, leaving thousands of young children without access to early …

Environment

play sound

Despite their growing popularity, consumers in New York and nationwide still face misconceptions about electric vehicles. One of the most pervasive …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021