It’s October. This month brings the promise of changing leaves, pumpkins, and cooler weather. For half a million uninsured Arkansans, October 1 also means it’s just one year until they can begin signing up for affordable, quality health coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions, lifetime limits, or income. “Open enrollment” for the Exchange begins October 1, 2013 and will continue through March 2014.

About half of the uninsured in Arkansas – 250,000 individuals – will be able to begin examining their options for purchasing private, full-coverage insurance in the Exchange. Tax subsidies will make the plans affordable and will vary based on income. For families just above the income limits for ARKids First, this will help them get coverage for their children at a lower cost than private plans today.

If Arkansas chooses to extend Medicaid to uninsured adults who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level (about $15,000 a year for an individual or $31,000 for a family of four), these new options will be gearing up to enroll another quarter of a million folks this time next year, too.

We have a lot of work to do in the meantime! We at AACF can reflect on – and build on – our work over the past 15 years to enroll children in ARKids First. We know that covering parents helps ensure kids stay covered and get the care they need. It also protects families’ budgets in tough economic times. Reducing AR’s uninsured rate from 25% will not be easy. It will take a team effort to accomplish our goals, especially when we’re talking about insuring those who may have never had health coverage. The good news is that work has been underway to organize and mobilize a team of hundreds of knowledgeable, trained workers from around the state to help their fellow community members get enrolled.

Check out our guest blog for Enroll America that explores the topic of these in-person assisters in more depth. If you are interested in helping make sure Arkansas families have health coverage, don’t hesitate to reach out to us – we can connect you to the planning efforts.