The Jersey Journal

Jersey City is hosting three events next week to help residents sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in advance of the Dec. 23 deadline to choose a healthcare plan.

Mayor Steve Fulop has said that as much as 20 percent of the city?s population does not have health insurance. Under the ACA, popularly known as Obamacare, almost anyone without insurance starting in 2014 will have to pay a penalty.

On Wednesday, Dec. 18 and Thursday, Dec. 19, city officials and certified counselors will be at the Jersey City Museum, 350 Montgomery St., and at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr. from 3 to 6 p.m.

And on Friday, Dec. 20, Fulop will appear at the museum for a ?coffee break? event to help enroll residents from 1 to 4 p.m.

The online marketplace where residents must sign up for insurance, HealthCare.gov, has been plagued with glitches since it went live on Oct. 1. The city said it will redeploy staff to be trained as counselors who can help residents understand their health options and enroll them in new plans.

Some of the counselors are bi-lingual for residents who speak Spanish, Creole and Tagalog.

You can apply for coverage by phone at (800) 318-2596. If you need a paper application or would like assistance in completing your application, please call the city Department of Health and Human Services at (201) 547-6800 to make an appointment to meet with a counselor.

Counselors are paid for via a federal grant, city officials noted.

If you plan to take advantage of one of these city events to sign up for health insurance, you must bring the following:

? ID (e.g., license, passport, green card)

? Proof of residency

? Social Security card

? W2

? Most recent paystub if applicable

? Award letters (e.g., unemployment, SSI, retirement, alimony)

? Any additional income (rental income, gambling winnings, etc.)