Marram Health Center is committed to a simple mission: enhancing the quality of life in our community. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, they offer comprehensive care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. To assist in that goal and to help the uninsured who are searching for a plan that fits their needs, Marram Health employs a Certified Health Insurance Navigator, Etha Lasenby, who guides patients through the marketplace.
“My role is to be an impartial and unbiased resource for those who need information about health insurance or those that want to enroll in coverage,” she said. “An insurance navigator must be knowledgeable about the programs they are working with and act in the best interests of the community they serve.”
Few are more qualified to help patients understand health insurance than Lasenby. In addition to being an insurance navigator, she is also a Certified Application Counselor for the Health Insurance Marketplace, a State Health Insurance Program counselor, an SSI/SSDI Outreach Access Recovery (SOAR) counselor, and a SOAR Local Lead.
Her comprehensive knowledge and extensive qualifications are essential to helping patients, but just as critical is her ability to communicate and educate according to anyone’s individual needs.
“Everyone receives my undivided attention,” Lasenby said. “I do not take phone calls or answer emails while I’m working with someone. I take the time to go over all of the available options, qualifying factors and addressing any concerns, and I’m always available for questions and follow-ups.”
Everyone Lasenby meets comes from unique circumstances. Her goal is to understand them and navigate patients through.
“I try to consider the situations that led them to seek my help,” she said. “Were they just released from the hospital and require ongoing medical care or medication? Did they age out of their parent’s plan and need their own coverage? Were they recently denied and not sure why? Or do they simply have questions about the programs and qualifications?”
Northwest Indiana brings a challenging set of health disparities that can easily complicate a patient’s path towards an affordable plan: high infant mortality rate, high blood pressure, higher cancer rates than most of the state, and a general lack of regular health care. Lasenby ensures Marram Health’s patients can move past those challenges.
“Insurance navigators can help ease all of those disparities by providing knowledge and assistance with obtaining health insurance,” she said. “It’s a common misconception that health insurance is difficult to apply for, or that the cost is too expensive. Depending on the type of insurance, the entire processing time can be less than one hour.”
State-sponsored programs offer quality care at affordable costs by basing pricing on income and household size. According to Lasenby, thousands of people have been approved for medical, dental, and vision coverage with a payment of only $1 per month.
Indiana’s plans such as Health Indiana Plan, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicaid are open year-round, and there is no time limit on when or how many times you can file.
To learn more and visit with one of Marram Health Center’s Certified Health Insurance Navigator to help you get coverage that fits your family’s needs, visit www.marramhealth.org or call 219.806.3000.
