Almost 7 million people are eligible to enroll in a plan sold on the health insurance exchanges before the next open enrollment period begins on Nov. 15, says a new report from Enroll America.
That means insurers should start their outreach and marketing early, such as by dedicating time and resources to improve healthcare literacy and ease member confusion, so they can get these consumers enrolled in their plans. They also can take such steps as helping consumers understand the best plan option and training their employees to understand enrollees' perspectives, as FierceHealthPayer has reported.
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010-2012 American Community Survey and previous studies, Enroll America determined that the almost 7 million people will be eligible for early enrollment because they will undergo a major life qualifying event, including getting married or divorced, having a child, or moving.
Of that total, 2.7 million currently lack insurance and 4 million have insurance but will likely lose coverage sometime this year. Enroll America estimates that the 2.7 million uninsured will likely experience one of these common life events:
- Move to a new county: 1.8 million
- Get married: 532,000
- Give birth or adopt a child: 471,000
- Gain citizenship: 60,000.
"This new report makes clear just how important it is to make sure uninsured consumers around the country know that if they experience a qualifying life event like moving, getting married or losing their health coverage, they may be able to find quality, affordable insurance right away," Enroll America President Anne Filipic said in a statement.
To learn more:
- here's the Enroll America statement and report