Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollment

Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans available through HealthCare.gov is from November 1 to January 15. Keep your ARC care team by choosing from insurance plans we accept: Aetna, Ambetter, Blue Cross, Blue Advantage, MyBlue, Moda, Sendero, and UnitedHealthcare Exchange Plan.

All insurance plans accepted by ARC, including government plans, are listed online at ARCInsuranceInfo.com.

Medicare annual enrollment

Eligible U.S. residents can apply for and make changes to their Medicare plans from October 15 – December 7. Medicare is a health insurance plan for people ages 65 and up, or those with certain conditions or disabilities. It is important to know your options and pick a plan that lets you keep your ARC care team.

Medicare patients at ARC are 7.5% less likely to use the ER than other patients across the nation.

Tips for patients

ARC in-network with UHC

If you have received a letter from UnitedHealthcare (UHC) stating that any of the providers listed below are out-of-network, please be informed that refers to their former practice. The following physicians and APC remain in-network at ARC, and you may continue seeing them without any changes to your coverage:

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Complete your telemedicine visit

Austin Regional Clinic offers telemedicine visits for some primary and specialty care. In some cases, the provider may also require you to come in for an in-person visit. Having an ARC MyChart account is not necessary; however, you must have a smartphone with a strong connection and be able to receive a text message with a link.

Check with your health plan benefits for specific telehealth costs.

How to prepare for your video visit

You can start preparing for your visit within 3 hours prior to your appointment time, or 1.5 hours after your appointment time in case the provider is running behind.

  1. Use the right device. This might be a mobile phone, tablet, or computer where you can receive a text and is equipped with a camera and audio tools.
  2. Use the strongest signal you have in your house – either cellular/mobile or Wi-Fi. If your cellular signal is strong, it is often best to turn off Wi-Fi in your smartphone settings. (See technical recommendations below).

Complete Pre-Visit Steps

  1. Respond to all texts or emails before your visit to verify your demographics, complete or sign needed forms and questionnaires, update medications and allergies, and pay your copay.
  2. In ARC MyChart, you can log in, go to your upcoming appointments, and click Pre-Visit Steps.

Allow calls from your ARC clinic

  1. Make sure your ARC clinic phone number is in your phone's contact list so you don't miss the call.
  2. A nurse/medical assistant will call you to collect some information and instruct you on how to start the video portion. Be sure to end the call before starting the video.

Please WAIT to complete the following steps after you have spoken to the nurse/MA.

How to start your video visit

Your care team will text a link to your mobile number when they call you with instructions.

  1. Turn on "do not disturb" on your phone.
  2. To begin, tap on the link from your text message. Then tap on [Allow Camera & Mic Access].
  3. Take your vitals. If you are able to do a home blood pressure reading, please do so and report it to the medical assistant or nurse.
  4. Please be patient. Just like in the clinic, we will try to call you as close to your visit time as possible.

Technical requirements

  1. You must have a mobile phone or tablet with iOS or Android operating system.
  2. The device must be able to receive a text message with a link.
  3. The device must have internet access.
  4. The device must have a front-facing camera.

Technical recommendations

  1. Video visits work best on a mobile device. You will receive a text message from the provider with a link to join your telemedicine visit.
  2. If you prefer a laptop or desktop, forward yourself the texted link through email to open the visit in an internet browser.
  3. Video visits work best when you use the strongest signal you have in your house – either cellular/mobile or Wi-Fi. If your cellular signal is strong, it is often best to turn off Wi-Fi in your smartphone settings. (See instructions below).

How to turn off Wi-Fi and turn on cellular data

Apple devices

First, check if the Wi-Fi is on, and turn it off.

  1. Check if the Wi-Fi is on. You'll know Wi-Fi is on if you see the Wi-Fi icon at the top of the screen, on the left side.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Wi-Fi.
  4. Tap the toggle button so that the color switches from green to gray.

Then, turn on Cellular:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap Cellular.
  3. Verify that Cellular is turned on – the toggle button will be green.

Check that you have a data connection. Next to your reception bars in the Notification bar at the top left, you will see either "3G", "4G", or "5G".

Android devices

First, check if the Wi-Fi is on and turn it off.

  1. Check if the Wi-Fi is on. You'll know Wi-Fi is on if you see the Wi-Fi icon at the top of the screen, on the right side.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap the Connections. This should be located towards the top of the menu.
    • Other versions of Android may have a "Mobile Networks" or "Data usage" option instead.
  4. Tap the Wi-Fi toggle button. This will toggle your mobile data ON.
    • On older versions of Android, check the "Data enabled" box.
  5. Check that you have a data connection. Next to your reception bars in the Notification bar, you may be able to see either "3G", "4G", or "5G". The Wi-Fi icon will be gray.

Note: The best way to test is to open the web browser on your mobile device and try to visit a website.