Two Health Care For All staff members help a woman get coverage at an enrollment event. (Daniel Frost/for Health Care For All)
With only a few days until the end of the sixth open enrollment period (OE6), we want to emphasize the importance of spreading the word about Marketplace enrollment whenever and wherever you can. Each weekly snapshot this year reinforced what we’ve expected: a rollback of funding for Navigator assistance and advertising and promotion have tamped down this year’s numbers.
In fact, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 3 out of 4 people who are uninsured or buy their own insurance don’t know the deadline to enroll in Marketplace insurance is December 15. Additionally, only three in ten (31 percent) say they have heard or seen any information about how to get health insurance under the health care law. While this is the sixth year of marketplace enrollment, and the stabilizing of the marketplaces in most states demonstrates their resiliency, the public needs to hear from us to understand their options.
This year presented unique barriers to those spreading the word about OE6. Coinciding with the midterm congressional elections, the first two weeks of enrollment succumbed to a media cycle in overdrive. Moreover, many groups instrumental in the success of previous open enrollment periods saw their federal funding slashed, or removed entirely.
Whether retweeting a celebrity tweet on OE6, sharing information about transgender health insurance guides, participating in a Twitter chat, or talking to your friends and family, we all have a role to play in helping everyone #GetCovered.
Need social media graphics and other resources to talk about OE6? Check out our Outreach Hub, which is full of social media graphics and videos that talk about the importance of health insurance. The materials are available in a variety of languages, including Spanish.
We all have a role to play this year – and your efforts could lead to someone you know getting the health coverage they need for 2019!