Turnagain Community Health: Don’t Give Up On Accessing Health Care

Community Health Workers Ellen Etrheim and Molly Trostel heading out on Friday, January 9, to place flyers throughout Girdwood, reminding the community the deadline for enrollment is approaching. (Photo by Linda Mankoff)

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

 The deadline to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance (also widely called “Obamacare”) is just days away- Thursday, January 15. I spoke to Turnagain Community Health Patient Assistance Program Coordinator Linda Mankoff on January 9 to learn more about options for health insurance in 2026.

 Free appointments for help understanding your options are available at Turnagain Community Health. Call 783-1355, choose option 1, and ask to be scheduled with a Community Health Worker.   The best times to call are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You do not have to be a patient to receive help.

 Congressional wrangling over extending pandemic-era insurance subsidies has been all over national news. Mankoff feels there has been confusion about what Congress is actually fighting about. In 2021, extra subsidies were added to the already existing ACA program. In particular, substantial subsidies were extended to people making over $75,000 per year. Those extra subsidies expired December 31. Extending them was what Congress is fighting about.

 “We could not get people in here on the first of November [when the enrollment period started]. The way it came out in the media, it sounded like Obamacare was gone.” She felt people who were making $30,000 or $40,000 per year didn’t understand they could still be eligible for premium tax credits and lower premiums.  

 What if you earn more than $75,000? Mankoff said she has worked with Girdwood small business owners who initially thought, “I’m never going to be able to afford the marketplace.” However, she continued, “The Marketplace counts net profits for small business owners.” “I tell owners, if you made a big profit, but then you reinvested in the business, what did you actually see at the end of the day? You could be eligible.”

 There are people who will see a huge jump in premiums if the extra subsidies end. “If you are in a certain category, you may have paid $400 last year for insurance but it could be as much as $1500-1800 per month this year,” said Mankoff.

Community Health Worker Ellen Etrheim doing public outreach at the Gerrish Library in Girdwood on Dec. 18, 2025. (Photo by Allison Sayer)

 As of January 9, it was still uncertain whether an eleventh-hour deal would be reached. “We believe there will be a lot of people that are going to opt out unless it’s resolved,” said Mankoff. If a deal is reached, people will have to move fast to enroll before the deadline.

 As the deadline looms, Community Health Workers Ellen Etrheim and Molly Trostel are doing outreach throughout the area to help people apply for the ACA. They have set up tables at libraries, the local Food Pantry, visited the Alyeska Hotel, put up flyers, visited churches and gone to coffee shops.  They have visited Whittier and Hope multiple times, and as Linda and I were speaking, she was scheduled to meet workers from Bird.  If people qualify for Medicaid, they can help with that, too.

 Mankoff encourages people who are seeking insurance from another provider to bring the policy information to her staff. “We are never going to tell people what to do,” she said, but we can help people to understand what is covered – or not covered – by different policies. “We want to help people get the best information and the best options,” she said.

 Whatever your situation, Mankoff says, “Please come in and talk to us.” She encourages people who cannot afford ACA premiums to talk to her about other ways to access health care. “Think about our Sliding Fee Program and payment plans at Turnagain Community Health. Learn about programs with free care such as Ladies First. Maybe you need a mammogram or gynecological care. Come in, learn about what is available for free and or low cost. We can give you options.” Mankoff also highlighted upcoming health fairs, during which a range of free or inexpensive screenings are available.  

 “When people don’t have access to healthcare, there are so many things that are affected in their life,” she said. “We can help with that.” Mankoff wants you to know, if you need care, “Don’t give up.”

 (Disclosure: This article was reviewed by Linda Mankoff prior to publication.)