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Citizenship questions threaten ACA coverage [Orlando Sentinel :: ](Orlando Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 18--Thousands of Floridians who signed up for Obamacare health insurance might have citizenship or immigration issues that require them to file additional paperwork by Sept. 5, federal officials announced. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began sending "last-chance" notices last week to Affordable Care Act insurance customers in cases that have data mismatches, leading to uncertainties about citizenship or immigration status. The health insurance is available to people who are U.S. citizens or have certain visa or immigration statuses. Federal officials reported they have resolved hundreds of thousands of such cases but still have thousands of open cases in Florida. Anyone receiving such a notice can receive assistance in clearing up the confusion by contacting the same ACA navigators who were available last fall, winter and spring to help people sign up for ACA health care. In Central Florida, Primary Care Access Network navigators can be reached through a hotline, 1-877-564-5031. Most navigators speak Spanish and English. A data mismatch does not mean there is a problem with a person's legal status. Commonly, it simply means the exact legal name appears differently on different documents, and that must be resolved, said Anne Packham, the PCAN marketplace exchange project coordinator. People who have received such notices must submit supporting documents by Sept. 5 or their coverage will end on Sept. 30, according to federal officials. "We want as many consumers as possible to remain enrolled in Marketplace coverage, so we are giving these individuals a last chance to submit their documents before their coverage through the Marketplace will end," Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Marilyn Tavenner stated in a news release. Online schedule service grows A still-new health care scheduling service in Altamonte Springs announced last week it intends to expand by 40 jobs over the next three years. BookThatDoc.com, a service that helps patients find medical providers, launched last October with fewer than 10 employees and announced it is ready to expand its Altamonte Springs-based service with the new jobs ranging in annual pay from $48,000 to $60,000. The company also plans a $580,000 new capital investment, but is not ready to announce details. "We've been thrilled by the growth of our service, which helps people find and schedule medical appointments online," Matt Bohannon, president of BookThatDoc stated in a news release. The company will be receiving $40,000 in job growth incentive grants from Seminole County. The company reports it has 1,500 members signed up and is providing scheduling for 130 medical professionals in general practice, pediatrics, dentistry and specialties. The company said it plans to add jobs in information technology, software development and customer service to expand its scheduling services to medical professionals from Jacksonville to Tampa. [email protected] or 407-420-5441. ___ (c)2014 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |