County ramps up outreach as open enrollment continues 

SARASOTA COUNTY - In response to the heavy demand for application assistance for those seeking insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act to begin on Jan.1, the Community Health Center of North Port and the Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida are partnering to host two enrollment events on Monday, Dec. 15 at Selby Library, 1331 First Street in Sarasota and at the Jacaranda Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Boulevard in Venice. Both events will take place from 10:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. The goal is to enroll 50-150 individuals at these events.

Sarasota County has ramped up its efforts to assist the public in getting affordable health insurance. Local application assisters have been educating consumers about their coverage options on the Health Insurance Marketplace as well as helping them enroll before the Dec. 15 deadline for coverage that will begin on January 1, 2015.

Consumers are asked to come prepared with your username and password to access their account on www.healthcare.gov if they have not created one already. For those who have not yet created an account, local volunteers will be available to assist you with this process. Fifty-minute time slots are available for application submissions and plan selections. 

Please call 866-547-2793 to schedule an appointment for this event. Open Enrollment does not end until February 15, 2015. However, residents are encouraged to act now to obtain coverage that will begin on Jan. 1.

For information and the most recent version of the schedule of events, visit www.SarasotaHealthInsuranceMarketplace.com, or call 866-547-2793.

Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, religion, or genetic information. Persons with disabilities who require assistance or alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), or who wish to file a complaint, should contact Sarasota County ADA/ Civil Rights Coordinator, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236. Phone: 941-861-5000, TTY 7-1-1 or 1-800-955-8771; email: adacoordinator@scgov.net.