(Host) Enrollment begins in less than two weeks for a new state-sponsored health insurance plan.
Advocates say they believe Catamount Health will be important for people who don’t currently have insurance.
And they want to be sure that everyone who qualifies for Catamount knows about it. So they’ve launched a statewide publicity campaign.
Donna Sutton Fay is coordinating the educational initiative in Chittenden County.
(Sutton Fay) "I just think it’s really, really important to get the word out and making sure people know about Catamount, because it works differently than most state health programs. Anyone with any income can buy Catamount."
(Host) Anyone who doesn’t currently have insurance can sign up for catamount.
Individuals who earn up to about 26-hundred dollars a month can get state help to pay their premiums.
People who earn more than that can also buy coverage, but they’ll have to pay the full premium. The cost will be about 400 dollars a month for an individual.
Bob Dunn of Winooski says he’ll be signing up for Catamount as soon as he can.
He’s 52 and was diagnosed in March with severe diabetes. He says he can’t afford the health insurance offered through the Special Services Transportation Agency, where he works as a driver.
With his diabetes, bills for doctor’s visits, prescription drugs and emergency room visits are mounting.
(Dunn) "The meds alone are breaking me, to begin with. And doctor’s visits. They’re working with me, the doctor’s office. The hospital’s not quite so friendly when it comes to owing them money. This would be an absolute godsend for me if I can get into this."
(Host) The state will begin accepting applications for Catamount on October first and coverage kicks in a month later.