DENISON – Smart Choice is a health insurance literacy curriculum that will be taught from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Sac County Extension office in Denison.

Smart Choice is research- and theory-based and consumer tested,” said Suzanne Bartholomae, an ISU Extension family financial specialist.

ISU Extension is providing research-based education to help consumers understand health insurance concepts and terms, evaluate their own health insurance needs, examine insurance plans and select a plan that fits their needs and budget.

Various organizations and agencies have been addressing concerns about the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace, but this workshop is different, Bartholomae said.

“Our Smart Choice workshops will not be an avenue for enrolling consumers in health insurance or for providing one-on-one advice about health insurance,” said Ruth Freeman, an ISU family finance program specialist. “Navigators and other consumer assistors play this role.”

“We address the Affordable Care Act in Smart Choice, and we will be supplementing it with tax credit and cost subsidy information, but it is not the focus of our workshops,” Bartholomae said.

Smart Choice is applicable to both current health insurance consumers and those who are newly eligible through the Affordable Care Act.

There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required by Dec. 6 by calling (712) 662-7131.

It is being underewritten by Sac County Extension and ISU Extension.