"There's Something In It For You”: Education and Outreach Efforts to Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations in Michigan to Support Health Insurance Enrollment Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented to move the nation towards a more equitable healthcare system that would enable disadvantaged groups access to affordable and appropriate medical treatment while improving the overall quality of healthcare. Although all citizens are majorly impacted by the ACA, the April Kaiser Health Tracking Poll reported that 65% of Hispanics, 48% of African Americans, and 45% of Caucasians were confused about the impact the ACA would have on their families' healthcare needs. The members of the Region V Health Equity Council (RHEC) chapter in Michigan developed an initiative to address this informational void.

This collaborative effort included state and local public health entities; advocacy and community-based organizations (CBOs) faith institutions; and nontraditional partners to educate Michigan's minority populations on the implementation of the ACA. Twenty-three organizational leaders attended a Training Workshop that provided them with flash drives containing files of supplemental materials to use when hosting information sessions for their own communities. Also, approximately 1,500 individuals, representing constituencies from all five racial and ethnic minority groups across Michigan, attended sessions that provided education on the general policies and procedures for the implementation of the ACA.

This presentation will highlight the strategies used to: engage community stakeholders, identify the informational needs in targeted communities, plan and publicize outreach events, and provide community members with access to enrollment activities. The presentation will also share lessons learned in the context of successes, challenges, and opportunities for future ACA outreach initiatives.