Peabody to hold insurance sign-up

PEABODY-The city has decided to take health insurance matters into their own hands with a special program dedicated to increasing access to the now legally required benefit.?Although many Peabody residents have health insurance, there are still residents who are uninsured and not receiving optimal care,” said the city?s public health nurse Chassea Golden Robinson.The percentage of uninsured Massachusetts residents has dropped nearly 50 percent with the new mandate, but many still remain uninformed on the potential benefits of being insured. People who enroll in health insurance programs are more likely to schedule routine check-ups and receive ongoing and follow-up care, which allows for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.?Only 87.1 percent of Peabody mothers received adequate prenatal care during their pregnancies,” said Robinson. “While this percentage may be better than the state average, we can do better. We can do more to link our residents with the health care services they need and ultimately improve the health of our community.”Robinson went on to say that signing up for health insurance is the first and “most critical” to improve the city?s health.Peabody has partnered with MassHealth Member Education Representative Anne-Marie Dangler Florent from the Department of Public Health to sponsor this presentation on MassHealth. Participants will learn how and where to sign up for health insurance, as well as other available health-related programs.The event will take place Monday, June 30 from 3-5 p.m. at the Peabody Municipal Light Plant. It is free and open to all uninsured residents. Spanish and Portuguese interpreters will be available for those who need it. Registration is requested, but not required.