Financial assistance for health premiums available.

August 9, 2016

If the premiums you pay to cover yourself and your family under your employer’s health insurance are more than 9.5% of your family income, you may qualify for special financial assistance from the Tencon Health Plan.  

The Tencon Health Plan is a non-profit corporation funded by area hospitals and county government. It is dedicated to helping uninsured people get coverage.  It ended its old program of assistance when the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Michigan Plan went into effect, but it still has funds to use to fill gaps in coverage.

“The Tencon Health Plan has dedicated some of its money to a special fund to help people in the service area caught in the ‘Family Glitch’,” said Bruce Miller, executive director of the Tencon Health Plan. This “glitch” affects those that have affordable employer coverage but realize it becomes too expensive when family members are added to the policy. Although the fund will not pay for deductibles and co-pays, it may provide assistance paying a portion of employer-sponsored insurance premiums.

If you think this program could help you, please contact Sarah Green, community outreach worker, at (231) 368-1057 for more information. District Health Department #10 also offers enrollment assistance (by appointment) if needed. Please contact your local DHD#10 office if you need help completing an insurance application or if you have questions about your coverage options. Additional information is available at www.dhd10.org.