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Health Care Conference Calls Changing Lives, Engaging Thousands

January 11, 2012 at 2:55 PM ET by Mara Vanderslice
Summary: 
Mara Vanderslice, Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services, describes the impact of previous outreach around the Affordable Care Act and provides information on future conference calls that Americans can join to learn about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

For people like Sam, the HHS Partnership Center’s conference calls on the health care reform law, have helped connect them to affordable, quality health care coverage despite unemployment and a major pre-existing condition. In May, Sam was unemployed, could not afford health insurance and then experienced a massive heart attack. He survived his heart attack but now has a significant pre-existing condition that insurance companies either refuse to cover or cover at a very high cost.

Sam was on one of the interactive conference calls sponsored by the U.S. Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships where he learned about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, PCIP. He learned that he was eligible for affordable health care coverage that will cover all of his medical needs, including his pre-existing cardiac care. He went to http://www.pcip.gov for more information and now has the health care coverage he needs.

in 2012, the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will continue its series of interactive conference calls for faith and community leaders explaining the benefits and provisions of the new health care law. Over 800 people registered for a call on the Affordable Care Act and Behavioral Health. The call was so popular, it is being held again in early February.  To date, more than 5,000 faith and community leaders have participated in the HHS Partnership Center’s conference call series.

You can join the calls too!  To register for these calls, click on the links below. Please join us so that you can share the new health care information with members of your congregation and community!

Lines are opened for questions at the end of every call, giving listeners calling in from across the United States a unique opportunity to interact directly with HHS staff and ask questions they may have about the Affordable Care Act.

On January 19, the Center will also host a live, interactive tour of HealthCare.gov. The tour will highlight the site’s many resources to help people take control of their health, access affordable health care coverage in their communities, and understand how the law is being implemented in different states.

To learn more about future interactive conference calls on the Affordable Care Act, sign up for the HHS Partnership Center newsletter at www.hhs.gov/partnerships.

In January and February, conference calls will take place on: 

January 19, 3:00 pm EST–Tour of HealthCare.gov

January 24, 2:00 pm EST–  ACA 101 (in Spanish)

January 31, 12:30 pm EST–  ACA 101

February 2, 12:30 pm EST–  ACA and Behavioral Health

February 28, 2:00 pm EST–  ACA 101 (in Spanish)

We hope that you will join us on our interactive conference calls on the new health care law. If you have questions about the calls or comments, please email ACA101@hhs.gov.

Mara Vanderslice serves as Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services.