No Quick Verdict on Obamacare

This column originally appeared in Politico on September 30. Dr. Altman’s future Politico columns will be posted on kff.org one day after publication. October 1, the focus of great attention in the Obamacare wars, is finally here. Today is the day open enrollment begins for the new health insurance marketplaces,…

September 2013 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll gauges public opinion on the ACA days before open enrollment for Obamacare health insurance marketplaces begins.

In his latest column published in Politico, Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman examines the recent historic slowdown in health-care costs and discusses whether Obamacare is a contributing factor.

This report presents the findings of a baseline survey of California’s uninsured adult population just before the start of the first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It will be followed by three other surveys over the course of the next two years that will capture the…

This brief summarizes the key issues identified and discussed by participants in Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured’s July 16, 2013 roundtable meeting on state adoption of the new and expanded Affordable Care Act home and community-based services (HCBS) options. While states have made overall progress in rebalancing their long-term care systems in favor of community-based care, state adoption of ACA HCBS options has been relatively slow to date, despite the growing demand for HCBS among beneficiaries and the enhanced federal funding associated with several of these options.

When the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplaces (also known as “exchanges”) go online this October, millions of people are expected to apply for private insurance coverage. Nobody expects the launch will be perfect, with no hitches and problems.  The law not only replaces a fragmented and confusing assortment…

Navigator and In-Person Assister programs created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will provide outreach and enrollment assistance during the open enrollment period for the new health insurance Marketplaces. This brief describes these programs, highlighting differences in how they are funded and structured and discusses some of the challenges they face.

Based on a review of publicly available materials as of September 2013, this brief provides an examination of the Marketplace branding strategies, websites, and marketing materials, providing insight into how consumers will be introduced to the Marketplaces and some of the key messages and approaches the Marketplaces will utilize to encourage individuals to enroll. As of September 2013, states and the federal government are on the eve of their October 1st launch of open enrollment for the new Health Insurance Marketplaces, where consumers will be able to shop for and purchase private coverage and potentially receive subsidies to lower the cost of that coverage. Achieving adequate enrollment through these Marketplaces will be important for fulfilling the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) goal of reducing the nation’s uninsured rate. Moreover, sufficient enrollment, particularly among younger and healthy individuals, will be important for ensuring the financial sustainability of the Marketplaces over time. Recognizing the importance of enrollment, the federal government and the 17 states operating State-based Marketplaces have invested resources and conducted extensive consumer research to inform the branding and marketing campaigns for their Marketplaces.

This report provides insight into preparations in Maryland, Nevada, and Oregon -three states that have established a State-based Marketplace, are moving forward with the Medicaid expansion, and are among the states leading the way in preparing for outreach and enrollment. e findings provide an overview of where these three states are in establishing their Marketplaces; preparing for the Medicaid expansion; planning for marketing, outreach and enrollment; and establishing enrollment assistance resources. It highlights the challenges the states have encountered and overcome, the successes they have achieved, and provides key lessons that may help inform implementation efforts moving forward.

As states and communities gear up to provide outreach and enrollment assistance under the ACA, the enrollment assistance experience of health centers in Massachusetts, where a major expansion of health coverage was implemented six years ago, offers valuable lessons that can help to inform current and emerging efforts by health centers and other community-based organizations to reach and enroll millions of low-income, uninsured Americans in health insurance.