Health insurance enrollment outreach and support
Program basics
- Assists individuals whose employers do not offer affordable coverage, who are self-employed, or who are unemployed with health insurance needs
- Can be offered by a variety of organizations
- Outreach effort can vary and are often supported through grants from federal agencies or private foundations
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Strong (second-highest tier)
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Strong (second-highest tier)
Ranked as having the second-highest level of evidence by County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
Target population
Low- and moderate-income adults and families
Program cost
Not available
Implementation locations
- Nationwide
Dates active
Not available
Outcomes and impact
- Increased enrollment in health insurance programs, especially among children
- Increased awareness of health insurance availability
- Reduced health coverage disparities across demographics
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review
- Successful strategies in most states focus on grassroots and community efforts to support enrollment
- Outreach efforts should include inputs from trusted community groups in immigrant and Native American communities
- Investing in social and informational infrastructure that can provide situational targeting during life transitions, such as divorce or job loss, should be a part of enrollment support
- States that expanded outreach efforts and used a combination of methods like text reminders, in person assistance, telephone helplines and media coverage, generally saw higher rates of enrollment
- Barriers to participation include language and translation difficulties and misinformation with respect to the marketplace and its offerings within certain communities
- Outreach programs should use strategies that can provide accurate information in persuasive ways, explaining all benefits and legal requirements and tailored to specific demographic needs