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Connecticut, like other states, launched an online health exchange -- Access Health CT -- where residents can shop for and purchase health insurance. There could be new opportunities for the unemployed or uninsured to receive health insurance. Here, we gather our coverage of changes under the new federal law.

Need Help With Obamacare in Connecticut? Meet Tina

accesshealthct.com
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accesshealthct.com
An avatar named Tina greets users visiting accesshealthct.com.
The goal is for Tina to make the online enrollment process easier.

Have a question about the Affordable Care Act? Meet Tina.

"Just click on me for help answering common questions," says Tina, the new online helper at accesshealthct.com -- that's the website for the state's health insurance marketplace where consumers can shop for health plans. Open enrollment for the second year of the Affordable Care Act began this weekend, and lots of people will be going online to look at their options.

So, new to health insurance and have basic questions? Here's what Tina says: "A monthly premium is the amount of money you pay each month to your health insurance for your insurance plan."

Confused about the different types of plans being sold? Ask Tina! "Metal levels. Bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, refer to a system for rating health insurance plans based on the amount of your medical costs the plan will cover, on average."

Then there's Obamacare's big stick. Tina knows about that, too: "You may be charged a tax penalty for every member of your household who doesn't have healthcare coverage for any period of three or more months in a year..."

The state says 40 percent of those who enrolled in the Affordable Care Act in 2014 did so online. The goal this year is for Tina to make that process easier. And, yes, Tina also speaks Spanish: "Hola, y bienvenido a Access Health CT."

But, just to be clear, this Tina is different than this Tina (h/t Patrick Skahill):

Jeff Cohen started in newspapers in 2001 and joined Connecticut Public in 2010, where he worked as a reporter and fill-in host. In 2017, he was named news director. Then, in 2022, he became a senior enterprise reporter.

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