Abstract
Open Enrollment for 2017 Marketplace plans begins on November 1, 2016. Programs should prepare now to engage unenrolled and newly-eligible clients, and support clients who enrolled in previous years to compare options and find affordable, quality plans for 2017 that meet their needs. This interactive session will include strategies to engage and enroll people living with HIV in health coverage.
Proposal Summary
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Affordable Care Enrollment (ACE) Technical Assistance (TA) Center has been helping Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) staff to enroll and retain their clients in health coverage since 2013. ACE TA Center staff have worked closely with HIV service providers to learn about challenges, lessons learned, and successes in getting consumers enrolled in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. These conversations have led to the development of a series of resources and tools for program staff and consumers. In this interactive session, ACE TA Center staff will share best practices, practical strategies, and tools and resources to train new and existing staff to (1) determine coverage eligibility, understand financial assistance options, and handle renewals and redeterminations; (2) use data to plan for and monitor Open Enrollment activities; and (3) support clients to use and maintain their coverage after they’ve enrolled. Participants will learn how to best support clients who are currently enrolled in a 2016 Marketplace plan to reassess available plans for 2017, given changes to clients’ needs, plan options, and eligibility for financial assistance. To support clients who have not yet enrolled, participants will learn strategies to address common questions and concerns about health insurance. Through hands-on activities such as audience polling and interactive case studies, participants will practice these strategies and learn how to use ACE TA Center tools with their clients to respond to consumer questions, promote health insurance literacy, and build consumer capacity to navigate the health system using their new coverage. Participants will also learn about a web-based self-assessment to help them determine their organization’s readiness for enrollment. Learning Objectives 1. The participant will be able to describe strategies to train staff to engage and enroll people living with HIV in health coverage. 2. The participant will be able to define methods for using data to plan for, document, and monitor health coverage enrollment activities. 3. The participant will be able to describe strategies to support clients to maintain and use health coverage after they have enrolled.
Relevance And Significance
This session will support medical access and compliance issues among rural populations, as well as innovative strategies and tools for prevention and intervention in rural communities. Results of two national needs assessments, along with ongoing conversations with HIV providers across the United States continue to find that clients have concerns about getting health insurance related to affordability and access to medications and services. Access to providers and services is particularly challenging in many rural areas. Additionally, many clients, particularly clients of color, have had past negative experiences with the health care system and are concerned about losing access to trusted providers. Many also have concerns related to immigration status. In addition, there are particular implementation challenges related to building the health insurance literacy of people living with HIV. All of these are further complicated in rural areas, where HIV providers may be more limited. Gaps in coverage threaten continuity of care and HIV medication adherence. Providers must learn to build consumers’ understanding of the value of health insurance, and to make sure consumers have the assistance they need to select the best, most affordable plan for their needs. Consumers also need support as they learn to use their health insurance and stay covered throughout the year. In preparation for Open Enrollment, this session will introduce tools for case managers, other program staff, and consumers that are adaptable to the local context and services, and support clients to select, maintain, and use their health coverage.
Session Format
Workshop
Keywords
Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance, Open Enrollment, continuity of care, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, ACE TA Center
Location
Room 218/220
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Powers, Juli; Levinson, Mira; and Cozier, Naima, "Getting Ready for Open Enrollment: Supporting Clients Living with HIV" (2016). 9th Annual Rural HIV Research and Training Conference (2014-2019). 10.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ruralhiv/2016/2016/10
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons
Getting Ready for Open Enrollment: Supporting Clients Living with HIV
Room 218/220
Open Enrollment for 2017 Marketplace plans begins on November 1, 2016. Programs should prepare now to engage unenrolled and newly-eligible clients, and support clients who enrolled in previous years to compare options and find affordable, quality plans for 2017 that meet their needs. This interactive session will include strategies to engage and enroll people living with HIV in health coverage.
