Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is now open. Don’t know how to access it, what it means or even where to begin?

Volunteers at the Fairhope Public Library can help.

Sally Ansell and several volunteers spend their time taking people step by step through the process. The same group helped many Baldwin County residents understand the changes to the act when tenants of the COVID-19 relief package earlier this year opened enrollment to the ACA in May.

Now that open enrollment has started, everyone is eligible to enroll. Ansell and her volunteers can again help with that process. Ansell was trained by Medicaid to navigate individuals through the system. She offers the help free of charge.

To enroll on your own, call 800-318-2596 or visit www.healthcare.gov

To make an appointment for help, call Ansell at 251-648-6982 or Linda Tom at 251-751-3170. Ansell and her volunteers are at the Fairhope Public Library on Tuesdays from 4 – 7:30 p.m., Fridays from 9:15 – 11:30 a.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

To enroll, either on your own or with her help, Ansell said individuals need to know their estimated household income for 2021, social security numbers for everyone in the family and a cell phone. Verification codes are sent to users’ cell phones. Those already enrolled in the marketplace will need their username and password.

Open enrollment closes on Jan. 15, 2022.