Overcoming Enrollment Barriers in the Health Insurance Marketplaces
<p>More than 11 million people had coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces by the end of the third open enrollment period. To maintain membership and attract new consumers, the state-based marketplaces rely heavily on outreach and enrollment assistance, even in the face of reduced funding for these activities.</p><p>For their new Commonwealth Fund issue brief, the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Justin Giovannelli and Emily Curran surveyed officials with the state-based marketplaces about the assistance and outreach strategies they view as most effective and the factors they believe are affecting sign-ups on the insurance exchanges.</p>
<p>The authors’ findings reveal the value of in-person outreach and assistance, especially in overcoming the numerous barriers to enrollment, including a lack of awareness among consumers about their insurance options and the availability of financial assistance, as well as the complexities of choosing suitable coverage. Survey respondents also stressed the importance of improving website functionality and adding features to support consumer decision-making.</p>