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family focus
'll never forget the day I met Nancy.
ance coverage can have on families like
That's not her real name, but her
Nancy's.
story is true.
Families are complicated, and the
Nancy came to Jewish Family Service needs of each family vary from the
to get help with enrolling in a health
next. Sometimes, different members of
care plan on the new government-run
the same family need different kinds
marketplace during open enrollment.
of coverage. We've learned how to help
That's my job; I help people through
sort through these complexities to find
the insurance enrollment
the right coverage.
process, alongside 18 JFS
For example, the naviga-
colleagues — including
tion staff at JFS has helped
several volunteers — who
in cases where the children
are certified as navigators or
qualify for Medicaid, but the
application counselors.
adults need to purchase a
Nancy was a newlywed.
plan on the exchange. Our
She was married to a man
team will help find provid-
she loved deeply — let's call
ers who accept different
him Ted. Ted had just signed
insurances and even assist
onto Nancy's employer-
in appealing a Medicaid
provided insurance plan and
rejection. Our goal is to help
Megan Pudlik
was able to see a doctor for
make an overwhelming sys-
Certified
the first time in years as a
tem manageable.
Marketplace
result.
We've also found through
Navigator
That visit resulted in some
the navigation process
Jewish Family
troubling news: Ted had
that health care is tied to
Service
advanced-stage cancer, and
so many other elements of
Nancy's health plan was not set up to
a person's life. People who come for
help with his treatment. As a result, the
enrollment help often reveal other
new family was facing some astronomi- needs that JFS can help them address.
cal expenses, along with the stress of
In one instance, we learned that a
facing down cancer.
client was not able to afford food for
Fortunately, our team was able to
her family. We connected that client to
help Nancy identify an alternative plan
the JFS Resource Center, where she was
on the marketplace that would cap their able to get help. In other cases, we've
out-of-pocket expenses and make Ted's
connected community members to
treatment affordable.
vocational services at JVS.
Nancy's story stands out as excep-
We've met clients dealing with cancer,
tional, but it's one of many impact-
a recent death in the family or the loss
ful experiences that our team has
of the family home. Many didn't know
encountered since the Jewish Fund and
that JFS offers counseling, along with
Michigan Consumers for Health Care
many other services, to help meet their
helped us launch our navigation pro-
emotional and mental health needs.
gram in 2013.
We've seen that families of every kind
At that point, as the health care
need assistance with health care enroll-
exchanges were first opened, no one
ment. We work hard on behalf of clients
was quite sure what to expect. Some
who are unemployed or facing financial
frustrating problems with the enroll-
hardship. But we also meet thousands
ment website and the politically
of people with steady jobs and a regular
charged atmosphere surrounding the
income who need guidance on this
Affordable Care Act dominated the
important decision. We serve people
early discussion. Here at Jewish Family
who are Jewish and non-Jewish, of
Service, we've remained focused on
every age and background.
helping people make the most of the
We've ended many meetings with
new opportunities for coverage.
laughter, and we've seen our share of
Since the beginning of enrollment in
tears, too. Above all, we're grateful for
October 2013, the JFS navigation team
the opportunity to serve people who
has helped more than 10,000 people
need our help and make a real differ-
investigate and sign up for the best
ence in so many lives.
coverage available for them, including
Open enrollment continues through
many whom we have helped sign up for Feb. 15. JFS is here to help people from
Medicaid.
across our region, so if you or someone
In the last year and a half, we've
you know needs help accessing health
learned a lot through this process and
care, call JFS at (248) 592-2300, or write
seen firsthand the impact that insur-
us at resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org.
❑