David Griggs turned around just in time to see Deborah Young step onto the doorstep of her home in Dallas’ Hamilton Park.
Seconds earlier, he had knocked on her door and didn’t get an answer. As she scanned her yard, the 53-year-old Griggs, clipboard in hand, jogged down Hoblitzelle Drive to her entryway.
He was quick and to the point: “Ma’am, do you have health coverage?” he asked.
“I don’t,” said Young, 51, and neither does her 16-year-old son.
It’s an answer Griggs expects to hear a lot as he and other Enroll America volunteers and staff members go door to door to inform Dallas County residents about the new health insurance marketplace, which opens Oct. 1.
Dallas County has more than 506,000 uninsured residents, according to 2010 U.S. census data, and it is those people, and the underinsured, the group hopes to target.
Texas has opted out of running a health insurance marketplace, which was created under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. That left it to the federal government to run one for the state, with volunteers and local government agencies to get the word out about enrollment.
“I knew it was coming,” said Young, who is self-employed and has been without coverage since she had to leave her job after an injury at home. “I was kind of waiting to hear the next step.”
High rate of uninsured
Informing residents about the next steps is critical in Texas, which has the highest rate of uninsured — about 27 percent — in the nation. In Dallas County, 26 percent of people are uninsured.
Enroll America is attempting to get the word out the old-fashioned way, by knocking on doors.
On Saturday, Griggs worked with four other volunteers and two staff members.
“It’s not going to do anybody any good if people are not aware of what’s happening,” he said.
Griggs, an attorney, could not tell Young exactly how much her coverage would cost, because the premiums for the five offered plans have yet to be released. But he was able to give her vital information she’ll need to enroll.
Young nodded and repeated “OK” when told about the marketplace website and how to sign up.
She said that she knows many people who would be interested in health insurance and that she would spread the word.
As Griggs left with Enroll America staff member Rachel Perry, he cheered: “Success.”
It was a welcome conversation after a frustrating morning in northeast Dallas.
There, the volunteers encountered unanswered knocks and residents who already had coverage or weren’t interested in what they had to say.
The Enroll America team set out in three groups to knock on about 100 doors in different areas of Dallas County.
Perry, 20, and Griggs started out near Skillman Street and East Lovers Lane. They knocked on about five doors with little success.
“It’s really not the best time for me,” one man said.
“I think we’re taken care of,” his neighbor said.
After knocking on the doors of numerous houses in the well-kept neighborhood, it seemed apparent Perry and Griggs were striking out.
“Rachel, these are $300,000 houses,” Griggs said. “This is a family neighborhood. You’re probably not going to find that many people who need to find out about this and need to be covered.”
It was time for Plan B. They got into their vehicles and drove to the less affluent Hamilton Park neighborhood near North Central Expressway and Forest Lane in the Lake Highlands area.
Birth defects
Perry, a senior at the University of Texas at Dallas, said she can empathize with the uninsured because her twin sister probably would not be able to get insurance except through her mother’s coverage.
Her twin sister was born with hemifacial microsomia, a condition that affects the development of the lower half of the face.
“Birth defects are the ultimate pre-existing condition,” Perry said.
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against anyone based on pre-existing conditions or sex.
The twins’ mother works at IBM, and as long as she has a job, her family has health insurance. She said her sister has undergone 21 surgeries since birth.
It’s a story Perry frequently recounts when telling residents about the importance of health insurance.
“We want people to know that this is a reality,” Perry said. “This is coming. The reality is you could get some help.”
That’s what Perry wanted to convey to Ada Phillips, who lives a few houses down from Young.
With her door half-cracked, Phillips, 71, said she is retired and has Medicare.
But she worries about her 36-year-old grandson. He works in Midland as a landscaper and doesn’t have health insurance.
“I definitely know he isn’t covered,” she said.
Next time she sees him, Phillips said, they’ll talk health insurance.
That’s what Perry wanted to hear. One more person notified.
AT A GLANCE: How to enroll
1. Create an online account at healthcare.gov. Sign up now to receive email. You will be notified when you can create an account.
2. Enrollment begins Oct. 1 and ends March 31. Enter information about you and your family including your income, household size, etc.
3. Pick a plan. You can see the plans and programs for which you are eligible. Five types of plans will be offered. Prices have not been released yet.
4. Coverage starts as early as Jan. 1.
SOURCE: healthcare.gov
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