More West Virginia employers and unions will receive help providing health coverage to early retirees and their families.

Nearly 1,000 additional employers and unions have been approved to participate in the Affordable Care Act’s Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, bringing total participants to 3,000 to date; applications are still being accepted

“I am incredibly pleased to see so many employers embrace this important new program to maintain coverage for people who often have a difficult time finding affordable coverage,” said Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “The Affordable Care Act helps large and small businesses to provide security to early retirees and their families.”

Created by the Affordable Care Act as another bridge to the new health insurance Exchanges in 2014, the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program provides $5 billion in financial assistance to employers and unions to help them maintain coverage for early retirees ages 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare. The program ends on Jan. 1, 2014.

In West Virginia, the following 10 organizations have been approved:.

Building Trades Welfare Fund for the Ohio Valley

City of Wheeling

Highmark West Virginia Inc.

IUOE Local 132 Health & Welfare Fund

Severstal Wheeling, Inc.

Special Metals Corporation Salaried Employees Welfare Fund

Teamsters Local Nos. 175 & 505 Health & Welfare Fund

The Association of Non Represented Salaried Retirees of Weirton Steel

The Fenton Art Glass Co.

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation Retiree Benefits Plan

HHS has set up a website, www.ERRP.gov, where sponsors can begin submitting information today to qualify early retirees, spouses, surviving spouses and dependents for claims reimbursements. Employers and unions interested in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program should visit www.ERRP.gov or call 1-877-574-3777 or 877-574-ERRP. Employers and unions can find the application form and application instructions, as well as other relevant guidance and regulations from HHS, online.

More information about the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, a full alphabetical list of participants, and an interactive map displaying participants by state is available online. Going forward, this list will be updated regularly. To find this information, please visit:

http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/early-retiree-reinsurance-program.html.