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BCBS Offers Obamacare Help Via Text Message

DETROIT (WWJ) - Now just weeks away from a big deadline to get coverage under the new health care reform law, there's a new tool to help figure out the cost of getting insured.

If you want to pick a plan from the new online federal healthcare exchange, and you want your coverage to kick in January 1, 2014, you've got just two more weeks to get enrolled.

Beginning in 2014, under the Affordable Care Act, all Americans are required to have health coverage or pay a tax penalty. An important part of doing the coverage math is determining whether you're eligible for any subsidies to help pay for part or all of your premiums.

There are free online calculators to help you do that, and now Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is letting you do it via text message.

Just text "4Subsidy" to 222752, said the Blues' Andy Hetzel.  [CLICK HERE for an example of the text exchange].

"They'll be in communication in with Blue Cross," Hetzel explained. "It's a four or five step process. They'll be able to understand the amount they're eligible for and be able to apply it toward their health insurance premium."

[Try the online subsidy estimator HERE].

MORE RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP: 

- Federal Government Official Site:
healthcare.gov

- State of Michigan information:
michigan.gov/hicap

- Events, Locations, Navigators in Michigan:
navigatehealthreformmi.com

U of M Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation:
CHRT.org

- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Consumer Education:
healthcarereformbasics.com

- Michigan Consumers for Healthcare:
consumersforhealthcare.org

- Enroll America:
enrollamerica.org/states/Michigan

(More from Your Eye On Health with Sean Lee}

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