This transcript is a conversation between **Joe Wicklund** (Assistant City Administrator / Communications & Community Engagement Director) and **Michelle Babcock** (MNsure Navigator). *Note: The raw text contained several "hallucinated" names (e.g., Andrea Pellegrini, Chris Steininger, Tanya Hertz) that appear to be transcription software artifacts/metadata. These have been removed to clarify the actual speakers.* *** **[0:01] Joe Wicklund:** Hi everybody, Joe Wicklund, the Communications and Community Engagement Director for the City of Hermantown. We're back again with Michelle Babcock, the MNsure Navigator that we've got embedded at the YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center here in Hermantown. We talked a little bit in our first episode, Michelle, about the fact that you don't sell insurance, the fact that we kind of need to think about MNsure differently and kind of ways that folks should be motivated to connect with you in terms of their health, in terms of saving money, in terms of planning, and that you're able to guide them through all this. I do want to keep talking about looking forward, but we've got so many obviously challenges right now, especially right now in our area with so many cases of coronavirus impacting us and a lot of the discussion being about making safe choices in terms of social distancing, masks, and being out in public. **[0:50] Joe Wicklund:** So let me ask you kind of a straightforward question to get started this time, which is: what are the mechanics and logistics of being able to meet with you? We want folks to connect with you and some of those folks, I think you probably have an expectation that's face-to-face. How can they meet with you safely during these tough times? **[1:05] Michelle Babcock:** Awesome, great question. And thanks again for having me, Joe. What I really want to emphasize is that the Essentia Wellness Center, as many of you know when you come here, has safety protocols in place. When you walk in the door, there'll be some questions, as you're getting everywhere you go at this time, along with a temperature check. If you're using our facilities to work out, you'll get some spray and wipes to make sure that you're wiping things down before and after. **[1:30] Michelle Babcock:** Everyone really has just done a fantastic job here at keeping this place safe. As far as meeting with me, we are limiting in-person [meetings]. However, we just don't want that to be a barrier for somebody to gain access to insurance or information. So if you really do need an in-person meeting, we can do that following safety protocols. Most of my appointments right now are done on the phone and they're also done via HIPAA-compliant Zoom meeting. Right now we have everything—we're making sure everything is secure for people who want to do things via Zoom. It's just as easy as clicking a link in an email and having a meeting just like you and I are doing right now. **[2:16] Joe Wicklund:** And for folks who, you know, I think about my parents and things like that who are maybe not as super comfortable with the technology, it really is that easy. Click on a link and you end up talking just like we are now, face-to-face almost. **[2:25] Michelle Babcock:** Absolutely, yes. And it's more, you know, kind of that one-on-one. It's easier, I think, sometimes when you can see people just having these conversations where you're going over a lot of information in one sitting. Again, phone calls just as well. If you're not comfortable with Zoom, we'll do a phone call about 60 to 90 minutes to do an enrollment and get people squared away. **[2:55] Joe Wicklund:** Perfect. So we talked last time, we've covered some basics, we know now that you don't sell insurance, so we can look forward to that meeting and that discussion with you not being a sales call—really being guidance, really being, like you said, a navigator. So let's cover the fact that I think a lot of people's default setting is "I don't qualify for MNsure." That question itself isn't really the right question, but you work with folks all over the spectrum: different sized families, different socioeconomic backgrounds, all kinds of different experiences that have had success working with you and been able to, you know, connect with a program that really works for them. Tell me a little bit about all of the examples and array of folks that you're working with. **[3:34] Michelle Babcock:** Definitely. I mean, we have people that come in—I think about pregnant women, children with families. First of all, I start with them because their income guidelines to qualify for programs are a little bit higher than maybe a single adult. So there is a lot of people that can get coverage that way, and it is so important to have coverage for pregnancy and especially for families with children. Along with that, I mean, it's everybody from maybe adults who are turning 26, maybe they're coming off of their parents' insurance and they need to make a plan. So we've been meeting with a lot of folks that way. I met with someone who was starting their own business, who really just didn't know how they were going to find themselves health insurance starting their own business. **[4:11] Michelle Babcock:** And so after—you know, there was a little bit more in-depth there—but I mean, we really were able to find a solution for that individual who otherwise maybe wouldn't have gone on that path. I think that even just people who call and say, "Oh, I got this piece of mail, it's from MNsure," and you know, mail is not always straightforward. You're not sure, "Am I looking at a renewal? Am I looking at something they need from me?" We are able to—you know, we know what these documents are. We work with them every day. So we're able to look at that and hopefully dissect what you need to do or the action that needs to come out of mail that you might get. **[5:00] Michelle Babcock:** So really just all over the board. You know, you had mentioned this current day and age, everybody's dealing with coronavirus in some way, shape, and form. It's affecting people's jobs. You may be finding yourself in a position where you're getting laid off from your job that might affect eligibility for insurance. Some people have lost their jobs and they're looking at, "Do I have to go on COBRA?" There's just so many different individual things happening in their lives, so I think that it's really important just to make that phone call and have that conversation to see if there's anything that we can help with. **[5:40] Joe Wicklund:** And I think you said it so nicely there; it's so many individual things. Right. So it's job loss, it's life change, it's family size. You know, I think so many folks just say the "I don't qualify for MNsure" piece because they're thinking of an economic number or the money I make or "my situation doesn't apply." And then the second piece to that is: "If I do apply, there's this labyrinth of things that I would never possibly understand and I don't necessarily want to dive into because it's insurance." Both of those pieces—my eligibility and ability to connect with programs over there, and then how to get started and get the process completed so that I'm in a better place—all of that happens with just one phone call to you. All that happens with just reaching out and connecting with you. **[6:12] Michelle Babcock:** Yeah, absolutely. I mean, like you said, everybody's so individual. So no person's situation is alike. One person over here that thinks "I don't qualify" doesn't equal the other person in the exact same situation because there's so many other dynamics that are looked at: family makeup, and income, and your tax household. And it's just things that, you know, before I was involved in this I wouldn't have even known about this. It really was kind of a lot of details. People don't study and memorize what qualifies you for an insurance program. I think it's just important to call and get that information, have the screening. It's really a 10-minute conversation to kind of be able to direct you in the right path that we think you're going to have to go in, so it's definitely worth the call. **[7:02] Joe Wicklund:** Perfect. And as always, Michelle, we'll keep talking about those timeframes for open enrollment that we're kind of flooding the system with information right now because we do have some dates we're being real cognizant about. **[7:15] Michelle Babcock:** Absolutely. So it started November 1st—open enrollment started. It goes through December 22nd. Again, it's by appointment for the most part. There's myself and there's other navigators in the community. If you go to insureduluth.org, you'll be able to find somebody for sure with availability, and people have different hours. I myself am available Monday through Saturdays by appointment, and we can, like I said, do it by phone, Zoom, and if needed, in person. **[7:45] Joe Wicklund:** Perfect. Michelle, thanks again for the time. And I hope that as we continue to kind of discuss some of the nuances of this, folks not only are kind of having their eyes opened about the possibilities of the way they could be served through the MNsure programming, but really do reach out. I've embedded Michelle's information and contact information on our City of Hermantown website where this is being housed, but also like she mentioned, the Insured Duluth website provides a lot of resources as well. So, a great time to talk about insurance because of open enrollment, certainly. Hopefully a little more top of mind because of what's happened with coronavirus, but really a great chance for folks to kind of educate themselves and learn a little bit more about some healthy choices and some healthy options and some coverage for 2021. Thanks a lot again today, Michelle. **[8:26] Michelle Babcock:** Thanks, Joe. **[8:28] Joe Wicklund:** Thanks, everyone.