U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was in Jacksonville today for a meeting at the Sulzsbacher Center about the Affordable Care Act.
Sebelius sat down with Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, Congresswoman Corinne Brown and some two-dozen leaders of Jacksonville’s non-profit community to address their concerns.
Among them, Florida’s decision to keep "Obamacare" navigators out of county health departments. The navigators are charged with helping people figure out what coverage is available to them and how to sign up for it. It’s a distressing problem she says, but not insurmountable.
“We will be working, though, with our great navigators at community health centers in neighborhoods throughout the area. And with help and support from the Mayor and the Congresswoman, I think we’ll get the word out to folks that need the information.”
And, Sebelius says, people’s privacy is paramount.
“At no point will anyone’s personal health information be asked for or available. And, if somebody asks for personal health information, they should be reported immediately because that is not part of the application process.”
Many CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aide pharmacies in Jacksonville have said they will help anyone interested in signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Health Care Act.
The health care exchanges where people can shop for policies and compare prices will roll-out October 1.
