Obamacare Enrollment In Illinois Reaches 3,000; Latinos Still Would't Sign Up

By Queenie Pancho | Feb 10, 2015 04:42 AM EST

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Obamacare enrollment in Illinois reached 3,000 while Latinos are still not signing up, according to Chicago Business.

The total number of enrollees this year is already above 36 percent compared to last year. The 82 percent of the sign-ups came from Naperville, Elgin and Chicago. Citizens from Illinois can still sign up since the enrollment period will end on Feb. 15

The government will aid 78 percent of the enrollees in paying their premiums since they are qualified for a financial subsidy. The enrollees chose a plan via Healthcare.gov and some of them were enrolled automatically.

The citizens are also guided by a "navigator" who assists them in the entire sign-up process. The navigators accommodate concerns such as the length and extent of health coverage based on the income of the enrollee. They are very helpful in working out different cases for a variety of clients and they make sure that the people actually utilize the insurance they chose, according to Chicago Reader.

Although Obamacare has made the process easier and more enrollees have signed up, Latinos living in the US are still not interested in acquiring a health insurance. One of the reasons for their hesitancy is the "fear of deportation."

Most Latinos are afraid that although they are qualified for the heath insurance, the sign-up will reveal family members who are undocumented. The fear is widespread although President Obama and other officials have reiterated that the information obtained from Obamacare will not be used for any deportation processes, Daily Beast reported.

Another reason for not enrolling in Obamacare is the language barrier, which makes it difficult for the Latinos to understand the procedures. A couple in Virginia tried to sign-up online but got confused on how to select a plan and how the deductions work.  Some Latinos brought translators in order to comprehend the process and some of them attempted to enroll but backed out when more documents were required due to identification problems.

For any concerns and questions regarding Obamacare, call 1-800-795-6140 for assistance or visit Obamacarefacts.com.

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