With the next Affordable Care Act open-enrollment period looming, recruiters are looking for their next targets but they've got fewer resources for reaching the remaining uninsured.
A key player has been the not-for-profit Enroll America. The organization nearly halved its staffing and is losing major funding going into the third open-enrollment period, which starts Nov. 1.
Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, said staffing was reduced to increase efficiency and to focus on helping local groups assist community members with signing up.
And there are still many who want to enroll but can't afford it. A recent Urban Institute study showed that about 70% of uninsured people are eligible for financial assistance under the ACA, but it may not be enough or they may not know it is available, said Adele Shartzer, an Urban Institute research assistant.
Strategies that might work to enroll the remaining uninsured adults include partnering with providers, who would also like to see them insured, and coordinating with other programs that offer assistance, she said.
Adults in the 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid are nearly twice as likely to be uninsured as those in states that did expand, according to the survey.
About 58% of the uninsured have savings of less than $100. Many say they have more pressing concerns, such as feeding their family and paying rent.
“They view insurance as important but not a top priority,” Shartzer said. —Shannon Muchmore
