Nearly 1,000 uninsured Taos residents eligible for coverage through BeWellNM

People who don’t qualify for Medicaid, Medicare or who don’t get health insurance coverage through their employer may be eligible to sign up for coverage before Aug. 15 through BeWellNM, an Albuquerque-based insurance broker that started after the Affordable Care Act.

Misti Dickens, community engagement specialist for BeWellNM, has been making the rounds this summer to let communities around New Mexico know that this is an unusual opportunity to sign up for health care coverage.

“We’ve never extended the enrollment period that long. Usually it’s like Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, but now they extended it because of the pandemic,” Dickens said.

Dickens said a recent survey found that as many as 940 people in Taos County are eligible to receive financial assistance through the marketplace. “So that means if they don’t get coverage through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid, if they go through BeWellNM, they might get financial assistance to help pay for their premium each month,” she explained.

Coverage is also more affordable this year due to additional federal funding that has driven down marketplace insurance costs. According to BeWellNM, around four-fifths of New Mexicans who qualify will pay roughly $10 per month for coverage.

BeWellNM has provided insurance brokerage service to about 44,000 New Mexicans so far, with roughly 56,000 who may qualify.