Access Health CT announces surge in health insurance signups, highest enrollment rate since founding [Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.]

Jan. 18—Access Health CT also helped enroll 28,724 residents with coverage for 2024 who didn't have coverage through the exchange in 2023, according to data.

Local data best highlight the increase in new people enrolling through Access Health CT. There was a 37.61 percent increase in acquisitions in Meriden compared to last year. Cheshire and Wallingford saw a 19 percent increase, and Southington saw around 20 percent.

The enrollment increase is attributed to several initiatives and partnerships with local organizations throughout the state that helped raise awareness of the importance of health insurance. These initiatives include the free Broker Academy, a targeted marketing campaign, multiple free in-person enrollment fairs, and working with community navigators.

"It takes the dedication and hard work of many to achieve these enrollment numbers," said James Michel, Access Health CT Chief Executive Officer, in a press release. "Our staff, community partners, partnership with the Department of Social Services, Broker Academy brokers and mentors, the legislative community and many others have made this a very successful Open Enrollment. I am proud to work with people who believe in our mission and understand the importance of health insurance coverage for everyone in Connecticut."

What drove the increase?

Access Health CT Marketing Director Caroline Ruwet said the number of people enrolling through the marketplace ebbs and flows each year, but 2024 marked a significant increase. She explained that there were three main reasons for the rise.

The first, Medicaid "unwinding", helped increase the number of consumers needing new insurance during the 2023 open enrollment period, Ruwet said. She explained that during the COVID-19 emergency, Medicaid, also known as HUSKY in Connecticut, was expanded to ensure all people covered by the state insurance had constant access to healthcare coverage during the pandemic, even if they were no longer eligible. The unwinding is a reversal of that flexibility.

Since the spring of 2023, the state Department of Social Services has been reviewing HUSKY recipients to see who is eligible to re-enroll and notifying those who cannot, Ruwet said. The unwinding is expected to continue until April 2024.

She explained that when residents were notified that they were no longer eligible for Medicaid, many turned to Access Health CT to find other insurance options through the insurers it works with or through Covered CT, which provides no-cost health insurance, dental coverage and non-emergency medical transportation benefits through the state Department of Social Services.

"Anybody who needed to be re-determined through the open enrollment period obviously was coming in and finding a health plan and potentially enrolling," Ruwet said. "A lot of people are no longer eligible for Medicaid, and they want to come in and find a health insurance plan and we can provide that for them."

Ruwet also noted that many initiatives, such as the Broker Academy and targeted marketing campaigns, were crucial to increasing public awareness around services.

Access Health CT launched the Broker Academy three years ago to offer free training for individuals interested in becoming a certified insurance broker. Ruwet said that the role of a broker is to be a trusted community member who can provide guidance on which insurance plans would best work for a consumer and their family.

It offers free training and resources over a five-day in-person class and covers the cost of the state certification exam to remove those additional barriers to education, Ruwet explained. She added that they typically look for brokers from all walks of life who represent different backgrounds to help build trust with the community they serve.

Over the last two years, Ruwet said that Access Health CT has helped train 50 new brokers.

"There's a little bit of a trust issue, especially for communities of color. They see the healthcare industry as a system that hasn't necessarily served them very well," she explained "So, if (consumers) can go get help with somebody that looks like them, that's from a similar culture, that's in their neighborhood...they're going to be more apt to sign up for a plan, and they're going to be able to talk to somebody that can truly tell them, which plan is good for them."

In addition, Ruwet explained that Access Health CT marketed its open enrollment ads by zip code, targeting communities with historically high rates of lacking insurance, such as Meriden. The campaign included posters, billboards and TV ads highlighting Access Health CT's free counseling and broker services.

For example, Ruwet said that many people don't know they may be eligible for financial aid to cover insurance through Access Health CT. Of the 129,000 who enrolled this year, 88 percent of consumers qualified for financial assistance to help cover the cost of insurance.

The marketplace also hosted a series of free open enrollment fairs with certified application counselors and brokers in communities with high rates of uninsured people. She explained that these in-person events are really helpful since it allows consumers to ask questions and get expert advice in real time.

"The insurance industry is really complex, and choosing a place can be really difficult for people because it requires you to provide a lot of information about yourself and your family. It also requires you to evaluate concepts like co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles, premiums, it comes with a whole separate set of language," Ruwet said. "The events offer free in-person help, so it's a way for someone to be able to sit down with an expert who understands those terms and have a good conversation so that person can then understand what everything means and make a good educated choice."

Community navigators

Another factor contributing to the rise in enrollment is the partnership between Access Health CT and trusted community-based organizations in under-served communities. These collaborations, also known as Community Navigators, are a grant-funded program that will train and certify select employees as certified application counselors available to help residents enroll in health insurance year-round.

New Opportunities Inc. has been partnering with Access Health CT since its inception in 2013, said executive director Bill Rybczyk. He said that the nonprofit's role as a community navigator is two-fold since navigators act as a point of outreach and engagement while also providing application assistance to residents.

"Part of what Access Health was looking for in Navigator agencies is to be able to have organizations that are impacting the community in multiple areas and engaging on additional programming," Rybczyk said. "So, when you're talking about health insurance, we can also be talking about fuel, housing, or early childhood education."

Rybczyk said that it's hard to ascertain the impact of community navigators on enrollment rates; however, it was noted that New Opportunities, Inc. has cultivated partnerships with several local organizations and nonprofits to bolster outreach efforts.

At Community Health Center, Access to Care Director Marie Yardis said that Access Health CT offers training and certification opportunities to her team members. She explained her team connects with patients and conducts outreach efforts to help residents get insurance.

Yardis said that working with an application counselor, virtually or in-person, is often validating for consumers who often see the process as confusing and complicated. She added

"When we think about the populations we serve, we try to be very thoughtful about what information they already have access to. What kind of technology? Are they on social media? Where are they getting their information from? Do they have enough minutes on their phone to be sitting potentially on hold with Access Health for over an hour?" Yardis said. "When (consumers) have the option of working with someone, I think, we've seen a really positive response. People really jump at the idea of sitting side by side in an office or at a table, going through their paperwork."

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