By Rachel Schwab, Rachel Swindle, and Justin Giovannelli

The tenth annual open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) marketplaces is upon us, and coverage is significantly more affordable thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) expansion of premium subsidies (recently extended by the Inflation Reduction Act). More generous and widespread premium subsidies led to record marketplace enrollment in 2022, but because many people qualifying for free or low-cost plans are unaware of their eligibility or face barriers to completing the sign-up process, this historic enrollment required substantial outreach.

In a new issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Rachel Schwab, Rachel Swindle, and Justin Giovannelli detail innovative outreach strategies employed by state-based marketplaces (SBMs) during the open enrollment period for plan year 2022—tactics that can be applied during the forthcoming enrollment season for plan year 2023. A survey of SBMs underscored the importance of adequately funding enrollment assistance and marketing campaigns, providing enough time to enroll in coverage, and using targeted communications as well as broader messaging to reach the uninsured. Successful enrollment strategies included culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and highlighting more affordable plan options due to expanded premium subsidies. You can read the full issue brief here.