CHICAGO — An Austin man has been invited to sit with first lady Michelle Obama Tuesday during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in Washington.
Cedric Rowland is the lead navigator for Near North Health Service Corp., 1276 N. Clybourn Ave., and works with people to find insurance under Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act
Rowland is credited with helping Stephanie Lucas, a supervisor at a security company, find insurance.
"Stephanie has diabetes and no longer qualified for Medicaid, but with Cedric’s help she transitioned to a Marketplace plan that met her needs and let her keep her doctor at a price she could afford — $62 a month after tax credits," according to a White House statement.
Lucas will watch the State of the Union address from the White House.
Rowland, a new father of a baby girl, also works at the Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital where he works with children and teens, according to the Sun-Times.
"It's surreal," Rowland told the Sun-Times.
In November, the Tribune included Lucas, who has diabetes, in a story on how Obamacare was working in Illinois.
In Illinois, more than 300,000 people are enrolled in marketplace plans, only about one-third of those eligible for insurance under Obamacare. In the Chicago area, about 175,000 people are uninsured but eligible for insurance, the Tribune reported.
Nationally, since November 1, 2015, nearly 11.3 million consumers have signed up for Obamacare.
"Our uninsured rate is at the lowest rate on record, coverage is affordable, and we’re seeing a historic slowdown in the growth of health care costs," the White House said.
Near North has 10 locations around the city to help those without insurance find coverage.
