By Atyya Chaudhry, Senior Program Manager, Health Systems Transformation, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
The national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8 percent in early 2022. The increase in coverage is partly attributable to record enrollment for Marketplace plans. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, nearly 14.5 million plans were purchased across 33 states in 2022 using the federally facilitated Marketplace on HealthCare.gov and state-run marketplaces. By comparison, about 12 million plans were purchased in 2021. While reducing the overall costs of living and health care costs for consumers, the Inflation Reduction Act also enhanced health insurance subsidies that are now available through 2025 for those buying health insurance coverage through the Marketplace, making coverage more affordable for many people. With the continued decrease in uninsurance rates and the enhanced subsidies for Marketplace plans, it is more important than ever for maternal and child health (MCH) program directors and leaders to promote Open Enrollment 2023. The remaining uninsured people are primarily adults, and communities of color are more at risk of remaining uninsured.
Open enrollment began on November 1, 2022, and it will run through January 15, 2023. Maternal and child health professionals play an important role in promoting the open enrollment season, especially among populations with high rates of uninsurance in their respective state. AMCHP developed a fact sheet for MCH programs outlining tips and strategies for promoting open enrollment, entitled Promoting the 2023 ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment: The Role of State Title V Programs. AMCHP also developed companion fact sheets geared for consumers, which are available in both English and Spanish.
AMCHP will continue to promote these resources and our partner resources through social media and other outlets, and we ask that you please join us in our efforts to promote Open Enrollment 2023 in your states! We encourage you to send your state’s open enrollment strategies and successes to AMCHP, so that we may feature them on our social media platforms. For more information, please contact Atyya Chaudhry (achaudhry@amchp.org).
