An insurer’s commitment to the health of its communities: Public-private collaborations necessary to support implementation of the ACA and improve public health outcomes

An outreach and educational initiative about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the uninsured in four states was launched in April 2013.  The initiative was designed to address the public’s lack of understanding about the new law. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Health Tracking poll (April 30, 2013) found that “four in ten Americans (42 percent) are unaware that the ACA is the law of the land.” To help educate uninsured, diverse communities about the Affordable Care Act, one of the country’s largest customer-owned health insurance company and parent corporations in Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma organized a coordinated, unbranded initiative that worked with and through community partners. In each state, the plans worked with local partners to design an effective campaign for the local environment. For example, in Illinois and New Mexico, there was strong support for the implementation of ACA, including Medicaid expansion, among both the State and advocacy organizations. Therefore, Illinois and New Mexico partnered with both the State’s initiatives and a wide range of advocacy organizations. In Texas and Oklahoma, there was not similar State support for ACA or Medicaid expansion. A wide range of community organizations and faith-based institutions were instrumental partners in disseminating information.