As a member of the MomsRising Wellness Wonder Team, I decided I should host a meeting of people who wanted to figure out the Affordable Care Act for their families. I talked a few friends, emailed a few others, and asked them to spread the word to self-insured and under-insured people.

Another friend is a healthcare navigator for Colorado’s Connect for Health, and she was looking for groups to talk to. Viola!

We had ten folks come to the Quaker Meeting House in Colorado Springs, CO. I knew everyone, but I wasn’t expecting all who came. Our speaker started by addressing two of the biggest blocks she has seen in understanding the magnificent change in our country.

First, understand that the government is not offering insurance through the websites. Private companies have agreed to provide insurance policies that cover 10 basic health issues.  The government does not own these companies.

Second, Colorado has its own health insurance marketplace called the Connect for Health Colorado. No one in Colorado should use the federal government’s website. Colorado’s website has had some small problems, but since we started a few years ago to cover more people in the state, we had a head start.

She then responded to the questions people had about how to find insurance, how to find discounts, and how to actually enroll. We had a good talk for about 45 minutes.

In this short time, our expert was able to share the main points that addressed all of our questions! It was that simple.

One of the people attending is setting up another talk for our speaker in Manitou Springs. The impact of good information and a helpful attitude just ripples along. If I hadn’t promised to help spread the work about the Affordable Care Act, I am sure I would have waited as long as possible to do the necessary footwork for my family. Now I had the opportunity to help several others.