The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage options through an expansion of Medicaid and the creation of new health insurance exchange marketplaces. However, effective outreach and enrollment efforts will be key to ensuring that new coverage opportunities translate into increased coverage. Based on a review of existing research, this brief identifies five key lessons learned through previous Medicaid and CHIP experience to help inform outreach and enrollment under the ACA. The brief is part of the “Getting into Gear for 2014″ series examining key implementation issues as states prepare for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage expansions.

Key findings are:

1. Individuals want to have health coverage and value the Medicaid program for the key benefits it provides to their health and lives more broadly.
2. A combination of broad and targeted outreach strategies is key for reaching eligible families.
3. Providing accessible, welcoming, and family-friendly application and enrollment processes helps reduce enrollment barriers for families.
4. One-on-one enrollment assistance provided by trusted individuals within the community is a key component of successful enrollment efforts.
5. Facilitating renewals of coverage is important for promoting stability of coverage over time.

For the full report, click here.

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Categories: Medicaid Watch