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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m A p r i l 2 0 14 • I nsIgh t | 33 "For many people, this is the first time they've had insurance or dealt with what a deductible or premium is, so there's a lot of education going on," sarvela says. smith says it will be at least mid- April until the state has a better idea of who signed up for insurance through the exchange or signed up for BadgerCare Plus. "It's a fluid situation right now and there's a lot of data still coming in," she says. exchange. It's estimated that gov. scott Walker's expansion of BadgerCare Plus to all adults below the poverty line – not just those with children – added 80,000 adults to the program while a similar amount were transitioned to the exchange because they had incomes above the poverty line. "It can be confusing, but if someone comes in the wrong door – say, for example, they apply for BadgerCare Plus, but really should be on an exchange plan – we help them get to where they need to be," smith says. Patricia sarvela, development director for the Partnership Community health Center in Appleton, says some people prefer to pay the penalty rather than purchase a plan. "ere is a gap where people don't have enough to pay the premiums," she says. "some people tell me they need to choose between buying food and paying their premium." Partnership got behind efforts to encourage people to sign up for the ACA early and helps residents in Calumet, Outagamie and Waupaca counties to find the program that's right for them. e group set up shop at 500 W. Franklin st. in Appleton where people could come in and work with someone to sign up for coverage. sarvela says navigators help people pick out plans and determine if they can receive any subsidies. "We link the coverage to care and tell them how important it is to get regular preventative care since that can help avoid more costly problems later," she says. "We did a lot of outreach last fall, holding events at libraries or wherever people wanted us to come and talk about the ACA and what it meant." Partnership's outreach hasn't just been about encouraging people to sign up for insurance coverage, but also educating them about different terms, such as deductibles and premiums. t he Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce asked business leaders about the cost of providing health insurance to its employees. Here's what they thought about costs in 2014: » 65 percent expect costs to rise » 8.8 percent expect no change » 23.8 percent report not offering insurance to employees To combat rising costs, company executives say they are considering a combination of ways to hold costs down. These include changing the plan design, increasing deductibles, providing Health Savings Accounts, and/or increasing employee contributions. About 12 percent of respondents said they anticipate discontinuing an employee health insurance plan. Oshkosh survey shows cost concerns Health Insurance from Health Experts Coordinated care is your answer to reduced company health plan costs. Developed by Prevea Health right here in Wisconsin, Prevea360 Health Plan connects a strong network of providers, innovative hospitals, one medical record system and comprehensive insurance coverage to make the highest quality care highly affordable. Contact your agent, or call us at 877.230.7615 to get a custom quote. You'll see that you don't have to compromise on quality, access, or your budget to provide excellent health coverage to your team. To find out how you can provide your employees free access to on-site health care, health risk assessments, and more through our LeadWell Corporate Health & Wellness Program, call us at 920.272.1005. CORPORATE HEALTH & WELLNESS AT ITS BEST Underwritten by Dean Health Plan, Inc. prevea360.com