OGDEN — Navigating today’s individual health insurance options is no cakewalk and the pressure to sign up for a plan under the still intact Affordable Care Act has doubled due to an open enrollment period cut in half by the Trump administration.

That six-week window to find an affordable and useful plan for 2018 launched Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15. So the clock is ticking. And now Utah has only two providers still active on the federally run marketplace: SelectHealth and University of Utah Health Plans.

John Grima, a retired hospital administrator who serves on the board of Midtown Community Health Center, said he worries that negative publicity about the Affordable Care Act could cause some people to give up and go without insurance. 

“But the plans are there . . . and people ought to look and see what’s available,” Grima said. 

Plans fall into three tiers — bronze, silver or gold — and offer an array of premiums, deductibles, co-payments and prescription assistance. And individuals with incomes that are 100 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for subsidies.

But finding the right plan could be harder this year due to a sharp cut in funding for “navigators” who know the system and can provide expert no-cost guidance.

“Last year we received $740,090 for the navigator grant,” said Jason Stevenson, education and communications director for the Utah Health Policy Project. “This year we got $289,584, a 61 percent cut. We found out about that in mid-September.”

After implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the partnership teamed with other nonprofits to launch Take Care Utah as a resource for people needing to find low-cost coverage. But slashed funding now limits their reach.

“We cut sub-grants, reduced navigators from 16 to 12, and front-loaded all the funding for open enrollment instead of year-round,” Stevenson said. In addition, their Take Care Utah network shrunk by about 17 percent due to lack of funding and attrition. “It reduced our numbers on the ground and also our geographic scope. We lose capacity to do events in Vernal, Tooele and St. George because we won’t have the time and resources. Those have been very successful.”

Even so, he reported that the first week of open enrollment has been brisk. 

“We’re seeing comparable visits and appointments, if not higher, than in previous years. Some of our navigators are booking several weeks out in terms of appointments,” Stevenson said. “When Congress tries to take something away, people end up valuing their access to health insurance even more. But it is a complicated enrollment period.”

Sariah Crowton-Suarez works as an enrollment assistor based out of the Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership at 3159 Grant Ave. in Ogden. She said she’s been booking daily appointments for people eager to gain or sustain access to affordable health care.

“Some didn’t do anything before because they were confused about how it worked and were nervous they might not qualify. But they’re relieved to find out they have a chance to apply,” Crowton-Suarez said. “I just met with a woman today whose insurance at work is really expensive, so we’re working with her to try to find something better.

Crowton-Suarez noted that silver plans increased in cost due to uncertainty around the cost-sharing reductions that Trump chose to get rid of in October. However, subsidies for those plans went up accordingly so that consumers who qualify might even see a slight reduction in cost.

“We don’t sell anything,” Crowton-Suarez said. “We show them what’s available, and they can decide. … I like it when families find something that works for them, and it’s affordable.”

Alliance Community Services will be hosting an open house to offer help to people looking for coverage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 2 at 3159 Grant Ave. in Ogden.

Throughout the open enrollment period, the Take Care Utah website can help coverage seekers locate a nearby assistor. For example, there are several options within 25 miles of Ogden: 

* Alliance Community Services, 3159 Grant Ave., Ogden. Contact Assistor Sariah Crowton-Suarez at 801-941-1966.

* La Clinica De Buena Salud, 14 N. 100 East #200, Brigham City. Contact Assistor Mary Hammond at 801-597-8460.

* Midtown Children’s Clinic, 5285 S. 400 East, Washington Terrace. Contact Assistor Luis Saucedo at 801-205-5912.

* Midtown Community Health Center, 2240 Adams Ave., Ogden. Call 801-393-5355 or contact Assistors Janessa Fernandez at 801-395-8211 or Alma Cervantes at 801-395-8202.

* Midtown Community Health Center, 22 S. State St. #1007, Clearfield. Contact Assistor Oscar Ames at 801-334-1338.

* Ogden Valley Branch of the Weber County Library, 131 S. 7400 East, Huntsville. Contact Assistors Amanda Rodie or Corrine Dichter at 801-336-2660.

* Pleasant Valley Branch of the Weber County Library, 5568 S. Adams Ave., Washington Terrace. Contact Assistors Kathryn Pudlock or Victoria Young-Burns at 801-337-2690.

Craig Paulson, president of the Utah Association of Health Underwriters, said that insurance agents throughout Utah are also willing to provide assistance.

“Our association represents licensed agents who understand it better than anyone. In most cases, it won’t cost consumers anything because the insurance companies build that commission into their premiums,” Paulson said. “So I would recommend they get that expert help. We will also help during the year if they have trouble with claims or billing.”

Helpful websites include the federal Marketplace at healthcare.gov, Take Care Utah at takecareutah.org, SelectHealth at selecthealth.org, University of Utah Health Plans at uhealthplan.utah.edu and the National Association of Health Underwriters at NAHU.org, where consumers can search for a Utah insurance agent.

Contact reporter Cathy McKitrick at 801-625-4214 or cmckitrick@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @catmck.