Expanding knowledge of the Affordable Care Act's benefits to the widest possible population: New findings from AARP's Health Law Answers tool

AARP’s Health Law Answers tool gives people personalized information on what the health care law—the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—means for them. The health care law is complex and can have different implications for people based on their demographic and insurance status. Visitors answer seven questions and receive a report explaining changes to the health law and what those changes mean for them. The tool incorporates multiple features to ensure people from a range of ages and literacy levels can benefit from the information it provides.

One goal of Health Law Answers is to ensure the law’s protections and improvements reach the widest population. Since the tool was implemented in July, 2013, ongoing monitoring and analysis has been conducted to determine what opportunities exist to increase knowledge and awareness of the law’s benefits based on the answers users to the tool provide. One notable finding was that over 75 percent of visitors using the tool were eligible or potentially eligible for some type of financial assistance, including 24 percent who were likely eligible for Medicaid. Yet, only 4-5 percent of visitors using the tool reported actually having Medicaid. Recognizing that health educators and communicators will continue to play a major role in implementing the ACA, this presentation will share additional findings and discuss the implications for outreach and awareness building to eliminate barriers preventing individuals from taking advantage of the new protections and improvements of the law.