Idea of the Day: Support Health Care Enrollment Through Community Partnerships

Partnerships will be needed with other government agencies and community organizations to extend outreach efforts and identify those who may benefit from the exchange—including the uninsured. Outreach that is targeted and conducted by community-based care managers is particularly effective for underserved populations.

The exchange could help bring individuals and families into the system by providing technical assistance, leadership, and financial support where appropriate to expand and improve practices that facilitate enrollment. It can empower community partners to determine eligibility for subsidies and public programs, help educate individuals and families about their options, and then enroll them in the best option available. States have seen success in such efforts, including allowing medical providers to make presumptive eligibility determinations for Medicaid, and asking schools to conduct Medicaid and SCHIP outreach.

For more on this topic see:

• Achieving a Culture of Health Coverage, by Peter Harbage and Hilary Haycock.