Support & Help

Healthcare & Insurance

We all want to be healthy and to see our families grow and thrive. Health insurance is an important way to keep you covered. There are many Americans who are not currently covered by health insurance. If you are one of those individuals, now is the time to enroll. The Library can help!

Table of Contents
Healthcare.gov (Health insurance marketplace)
Community Health Workers
Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP)
Free or reduced cost medical/dental care offices
Healthcare Providers
Medical Information Online
Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program
Connecting Kids to Coverage
COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 News
COVID-19 Testing

Reach out to a librarian with any questions or for one-on-one assistance navigating these resources!

Call 574-282-4646
Email library@sjcpl.org
Visit any library location

Need Health Coverage?

Open enrollment is November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2022

Sign up at healthcare.gov

Assistance with enrollment is available!
Visit GetCoveredAmerica.org or fill out the form below to make a virtual or in-person appointment.

Healthcare.gov (Health Insurance Marketplace)

Open Enrollment for 2024 Marketplace health insurance ends December 15, 2023
Healthcare.gov: Special enrollment period

  • You can now enroll in or change your Marketplace plan if you have a life event that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period.

Healthcare.gov:
Get ready to apply for or re-enroll in your health insurance Marketplace coverage

IN.gov: Find a Navigator
A certified navigator can assist you with the process to apply for your health insurance.

Digital Learn Course:
Using Healthcare.gov

CMS.gov resources for consumers:

Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator
Provides estimates of health insurance premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in health insurance exchanges (or “Marketplaces”) created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Get Covered Connector
Need help with your health insurance application? Enter your ZIP code to find appointments with local application assisters.

Community Health Workers

The St. Joseph County Department of Health has placed Community Health Workers (CHWs) in specific neighborhoods throughout St. Joseph County to provide and connect community members to different resources. Read more here.

Please complete this form if you are in need of resources, such as transportation, food, childcare, etc. and someone will be in touch within two business days to connect and assist you.

Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP)

Indiana offers several health coverage options for qualified low-income individuals and families, individuals with disabilities and the elderly with limited financial resources. Each program is designed to meet the medical needs of that specific group of individuals, and each program uses a different set of measures to determine if a person qualifies for that program.

For more information, visit the FSSA website or call 800-403-0864, for information.

How do I apply? 

  • Apply online health coverage here.
  • Apply by phone at 800-403-0864 Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
  • Apply by mail (Division of Family Resources PO Box 1810 Marion, IN 46952)
    • Paper applications in English and Spanish are available at South Bend’s Division of Family Resources office located at the Commerce Center at 401 E. Colfax Ave. Suite 375 next to the East Race.

Need help?

  • Call 1-877-GET-HIP-9 (1-800-438-4479) for questions.
  • Call 1-800-889-9949 Hoosier Healthwise for questions about health plan options.
  • Make an appointment with a library staff member to help you fill out HIP forms by calling 574-282-5656 or emailing library@sjcpl.org.
  • Find a health care Navigator

What is the difference between HIP and the federal Marketplace?

Health coverage programs are available from both the federal and state governments. The federal Health Insurance Marketplace holds open enrollment period from November through January. Indiana offers health coverage called the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). You can apply any time during the year. Both Marketplace and HIP coverage have eligibility requirements.

During the open enrollment process using the federal Marketplace, your eligibility for federal and state insurance programs will be assessed. If you are determined to be eligible for HIP, your information will be forwarded to the State of Indiana to further evaluate eligibility.

Free or reduced cost medical/dental care offices

(https://www.freedentalcare.us/ci/in-south_bend)

  • HealthLinc South Bend IUSB Campus
    • Medical – IUSB Vera Z. Dwyer Hall
      1960 Northside Blvd.
      South Bend, IN 46615
      Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    • Dental – IUSB Arts and Education building
      (Roger S. Pecina Dental Educational Clinic and Afdent Classrooms)
      1002 South Esther Street
      South Bend, IN 46615
      Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    • Toll Free & After Hours: (888) 580-1060
      Local Phone: (574) 307-7673
      Fax: (574) 234-4705
    • For those who qualify, HealthLinc has a sliding fee discount program to help provide high-quality affordable health care.
  • Heart City Health
    • Scenic: 148 W Hively Ave., Suite 1
      Elkhart, IN 46517
      (574) 350-2500
    • Simpson: 236 Simpson Ave
      Elkhart, IN 46516
      (574) 293-0052
    • Women’s Health: 1545 Cassopolis St
      Elkhart, IN 46514
      (574) 584-2501
  • Heart City Health Dental
    • 2100 Superior Street
      Elkhart, IN 46516
      (574) 970-1937
  • We are not a free clinic. We provide healthcare services for a fee. However, because we are a Federally Qualified Health Center, we are able to offer reduced rates to people without insurance as long as they qualify based on income. Everyone is welcome as a patient.
    • For anyone without health insurance, we offer services on a sliding-fee scale, which means you pay only what you can afford.
  • Cassopolis Family Clinic / Niles Community Health Center
    • Cassopolis Family Clinic
      261 M-62 North
      Cassopolis, MI 49031
      (269) 445-3874
    • Cassopolis Family Clinic Dental (Temporarily Closed)
    • Niles Community Health Center
      • 1951 Oak Street
        Niles, MI 49120
        (269) 262-4749
    • Niles Community Health Center Dental
      • 122 Grant Street
        Niles, MI 49120
        (269) 262-4364
    • Community Health Workers (CHW) are on staff to help patients who are uninsured enroll in Michigan Medicaid, Affordable Health Care Plans, or the Sliding Fee Discount Program.  Patients needing assistance are encouraged to meet with a CHW prior to their appointment.
    • Underinsured?  If you have Insurance with high out of pocket costs, you may be eligible for the Sliding Fee Discount Program.  Patients needing assistance are encouraged to meet with a CHW prior to their appointment.

Healthcare Providers

  • AtoZdatabases contains listings of Healthcare Professionals.
    • From the Databases page, click the link for AtoZdatabases.
    • On the main page, click the Get Started button (bottom left) for 12 Million Healthcare Professionals.
    • Use the headings on the left to search by geography and other criteria.

Medical Information Online

  • MedLine database – Information about health topics, drugs and supplements, genetics, medical tests, medications, dietary supplements, and healthy recipes
    • English and Spanish language resources
    • From the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program

  • The Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program is a free, voluntary program for pregnant Medicaid members who use opioids or have used opioids in the past.
    • The program ensures individuals’ privacy and confidentiality.
    • The program connects individuals to prenatal and postpartum care, other physical and mental health care, and treatment for opioid use disorder. 
    • Now offering a child care benefit for all enrollees.
    • Enroll here, with FAQs
    • Community and recovery resources

Connecting Kids to Coverage

COVID-19 Vaccine

FDA.gov: COVID-19 Vaccines

  • COVID-19 Vaccines Approved or Authorized for Emergency Use
  • FDA COVID-19 Vaccine News and Updates
  • FDA Leaders on Vaccines
  • Emergency Use Authorizations — Vaccines
  • Video Frequently Asked Questions
  • Vaccine Basics
  • Podcasts
  • Vaccine Advisory Committee Meetings
  • Vaccine Guidance for Industry

IN.gov: Vaccine Information and Planning
Find a vaccination site, see the Indiana Vaccine Dashboard, and read the latest vaccine news.
Myocarditis and COVID-19 vaccination fact sheet

Indiana COVID Vaccine Sites
To register, click on the icon for your local site and then “Click Here to Register.”

Individuals age 18 and older can register to receive any type of vaccine available. Parents must register and give consent for a 5- to 17-year-old and select a site that offers Pfizer vaccine. This is the only vaccine approved for ages 5-17. Parents may either go with their child to the appointment or provide written authorization that the minor may receive the vaccine if unaccompanied (IN.gov Teen Vaccine Fact Sheet)

How to Be Prepared: What to Bring When You Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine (English | Spanish)

What to expect when you get your vaccine

Proof of Vaccination
Access Indiana: Proof of vaccination. Scroll down to the “Indiana Vaccination Portal” tile, create an account, and download a vaccination certificate.

VaccineFinder.org
Look up your city or zip code, find an interactive map of all the places administering COVID-19 vaccines, and see which ones have vaccine doses in stock.

CDC COVID Data Tracker
Find maps and charts tracking cases, deaths, and trends of COVID-19 in the United States, updates Mondays and Fridays by 8 p.m. ET

CMS.gov Coronavirus (COVID-19) Partner Resources
Resources to help you stay informed on CMS, HHS, CDC and other materials and resources available on the COVID-19 vaccine

HHS.gov COVID-19 Public Education Campaign
Sharable resources and outreach tools

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Funeral Assistance (FEMA/IN.gov)

FEMA will continue to provide funeral assistance until Sept. 30, 2025, to those who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic.

COVID-19 Testing

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