The deadline to enroll in this year’s 2022 Marketplace Health Insurance Plan is fast approaching. When browsing insurance plans, it can be difficult to find the right one for you and your family. States along the Gulf Coast offer assistance with the application process.

Alabama

Mobile and Prichard residents can contact the Mobile County Health Department to get in touch with a certified application advisor. These counselors can help residents complete eligibility and registration forms. You can make an appointment by clicking here or by calling 251-690-8964.

Residents of Daphne, Fairhope, and Foley can visit Healthcare.gov, the federal website where residents complete their health insurance applications. Under the “Find Local Help” tab, a postcode function will appear. When you enter your postal code, a list of agents, brokers and assistants in your area will appear in the search.

Florida

Florida residents can contact Covering Florida, an organization hired by the US Department of Health Human Services to help residents determine the insurance options that best suit their needs.

Covering Florida helps residents specifically with ACA Marketplace health insurance. You can make an appointment for an advisor by calling 877-813-9115 or by clicking here.

Covering Florida is a division of Florida Covering Kids and Families based at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Assistance is provided free of charge.

Mississippi

Mississippi residents can find help filling out their health forms through Mississippi Access to Care (MAC), a program that lets you search for health insurance advisors by county.

If you don’t see an advisor in your county, you can also visit Healthcare.gov and use the postcode feature to find agents, brokers, and assistants in your area.

What is the marketplace?

Marketplace is a federal program that allows residents to compare and sign up for health coverage plans, including health insurance programs like Blue Cross and Blue Shield and private government-sponsored programs like United Healthcare.

How to register for the program?

Residents can enroll in the program through an online health insurance application. Residents who apply before midnight on Dec. 15 can get full coverage starting Jan. 1, according to an article on the Healthcare.gov website.

Is agent and broker support free?

Healthcare.gov answered this question on its website:

“Agents / brokers are generally free for you. They are usually paid for by insurance companies.

Healthcare.gov, find the local help page

If you choose an agent or broker who charges a fee, you can shop around to see if others in your area do not require payment.