Summary of Urban Institute event provided by The Market Institute
The Urban Institute and National Academy for State Health Policy co-hosted on Dec. 17 an event to discuss successful and proven health insurance enrollment strategies initiated by individual states. One of the Affordable Care Act’s central goals is to get uninsured people health coverage and the panel will discuss innovation for this goal inside state programs. Since 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Maximizing Enrollment program worked with eight states to transform state enrollment systems, policies and procedures for Medicaid and CHIP and to prepare for the ACA’s enrollment requirements. In her opening remarks, Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wartell said the timing of the forum could not have come at a better time. There are new headlines everyday about health insurance. The discussion will recount realistic expectations for enrolling the uninsured.
Key Takeaways from Moderated Discussion on how to ultimately enroll more people:
- Why are we focusing on a problematic website when there are so many other beneficial facets of the law
- States will drive the consumer experience of the ACA; they are most successful when keeping consumers in mind
- State-based experimentation will be key to figuring out what works and what does not work in regards to ACA
- Various technological initiatives are reducing administrative red tape
- There is a long way to go in ensuring quality care for most Americans
- Many state leaders, regardless of party affiliation are intrigued by the idea of efficiency
- Streamlining the paperwork process would be a strong step in signing more people up for insurance
- Figure out what people are disenrolling and why
- The implementation aspect will take time and there is no way any meaningful change will happen overnight
