Online Program

331338
Illinois ACA Navigators: An analysis of effective outreach strategies for health insurance enrollment in minority populations


Wednesday, November 4, 2015 : 1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Michele Thornton, M.B.A., PhD Candidate, School of Public Health, Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Introduction - The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created a new workforce of navigators whose role includes education, outreach and facilitation of health insurance enrollment by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the uninsured. Navigators focus their efforts on the uninsured who are disproportionately represented in minority populations.   We explore outreach strategies employed during ACA enrollment, highlight changes between the first and second periods and begin to identify their ongoing impact on the insurance rates of minority communities in Illinois.  

Methods - This analysis uses three data sets including navigator demographics, reported performance metrics and a online survey sent to all certified navigators in Illinois in 2014 and 2015. We include quantitative analysis of the type and depth of their outreach, as well as their perceived impact on relevant subgroups amongst the uninsured.  776 (62%) of the certified navigators responded in 2014 and we expect similar rates in 2015.

Results: Initially we find that navigators who employ a variety of outreach activities outperform their peers in ACA enrollment.  Additionally, we find that Navigators who describe the minority communities they serve as either “very or somewhat motivated” are more likely to have higher enrollment success in subsidized Marketplace coverage.  The second enrollment period will be completed in early 2015, and we will compare these findings with the Navigators strategies to reach the remaining uninsured population in year two.

 Implications: This study provides future navigators and outreach workers with important details about best practices, training recommendations and coordinated messaging for work to engage uninsured minority populations.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe outreach strategies used to educate and enroll ACA eligible individuals in appropriate health insurance coverage. Assess the effectiveness of enrollment programs designed specifically to target the minority groups that were overrepresented in the uninsured population.

Keyword(s): Affordable Care Act, Health Promotion and Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have 16 years professional experience in health insurance education and enrollment. My MBA is in health sector management. My doctoral area of study is Health Policy and Administration. I was the sole graduate research assistant working on the State of Illinois ACA Navigator implementation, training, and evaluation program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.