Domingo Carino’s #GetCovered Story

Domingo Carino arrived in the U.S. from the Philippines in 1998. Domingo recently developed a health condition that he desperately needed medication for but couldn’t afford without health insurance. He applied for Medicaid but after waiting two months, he was denied coverage. Discouraged, Domingo wondered if there was anything or anyone who could help him.

Finally, his brother, who also happened to be looking for health insurance for his family, encouraged Domingo to come with him to Asian Human Services Family Health Center in Chicago, Illinois. Working with an in-person assister, Domingo found out that he qualified for a special enrollment period since he had been denied by Medicaid. He also learned that the $120 tax credit that he qualified for meant his health insurance plan would only cost $11 a month!

Domingo’s plan not only allows him to afford his medication, but he was also able to keep his primary care physician. He states, “I’m extremely happy with the tax credits I received through the Affordable Care Act. Now I can live without worrying about how to afford my medication!” For Domingo, the tax credits have been a lifesaver; without them, he couldn’t afford to manage his health.

Financial help is available! Eight out of 10 people can find coverage for $100 or less a month with tax credits through the Marketplace. And 87 percent of people who selected 2015 plans through HealthCare.gov in the first month of open enrollment got financial assistance to help lower the cost of premiums.

For more information on the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596. Translation services are available and the call is free. So find out if you qualify for financial assistance today and enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace before February 15!

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.