States and non-profit groups will focus on rural areas in the next round of strategies to get more people enrolled in federal health reform, Shefali Luthra reports for Kaiser Health News. While millions of Americans have signed up for health care under the Affordable Care Act, a large portion of rural residents did not, especially in states that chose not to expand Medicaid. One problem is distance. Many rural residents lack broadband and live far from enrollment assistance centers.
"About $2.5 million from the Department of Health and Human Services was specifically directed to rural outreach for the initial open enrollment period," Luthra writes. "For 2015, a total of $60 million will be available to bolster navigators’ work in states that are using the federal marketplace, but it’s not clear what portion of this amount will be directed to rural enrollment."
In Virginia 13 percent of the population is rural, and 13 percent of state residents are uninsured, Luthra writes. Jill Hanken, health attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the state's principal navigator agency, told Luthra, "We're spread thin throughout the state, but that means in rural areas there are additional challenges in terms of finding the people and getting out to groups." Virginia did not expand Medicaid.
In Minnesota, where some people have had to travel more than 50 miles to get assistance, 23 percent of the state is rural, and 9 percent of residents lack insurance, Luthra writes. Ralonda Mason, a supervising attorney at St. Cloud’s branch of Mid-MN Legal Aid, said MNsure, the state's online enrollment plan, "doesn’t let navigators and consumers use computers in different places to simultaneously log into the application and fill it out over the phone. They must review it in person. Site crashes or application failures, which navigators said they hope to see fewer of this year, add burdens for consumers or navigators already traveling far." (Read more) (Advisory Board Company map)
"About $2.5 million from the Department of Health and Human Services was specifically directed to rural outreach for the initial open enrollment period," Luthra writes. "For 2015, a total of $60 million will be available to bolster navigators’ work in states that are using the federal marketplace, but it’s not clear what portion of this amount will be directed to rural enrollment."
In Virginia 13 percent of the population is rural, and 13 percent of state residents are uninsured, Luthra writes. Jill Hanken, health attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the state's principal navigator agency, told Luthra, "We're spread thin throughout the state, but that means in rural areas there are additional challenges in terms of finding the people and getting out to groups." Virginia did not expand Medicaid.
In Minnesota, where some people have had to travel more than 50 miles to get assistance, 23 percent of the state is rural, and 9 percent of residents lack insurance, Luthra writes. Ralonda Mason, a supervising attorney at St. Cloud’s branch of Mid-MN Legal Aid, said MNsure, the state's online enrollment plan, "doesn’t let navigators and consumers use computers in different places to simultaneously log into the application and fill it out over the phone. They must review it in person. Site crashes or application failures, which navigators said they hope to see fewer of this year, add burdens for consumers or navigators already traveling far." (Read more) (Advisory Board Company map)
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