The Medicaid and Marketplace Outreach and Enrollment (MMOE) work group designs and implements community-based initiatives that increase enrollment in health insurance plans. Work group activities include:

• Recruiting and training student volunteers to assist with outreach events and enrollment activities,
• Helping work group volunteers and the organizations they serve promote Medicaid and Marketplace health plans on college campuses;
• Educating those who assist with enrollment;
• Tracking Medicaid and Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment at agencies across the county; and
• Distributing flyers to encourage enrollment, particularly among students, immigrants, and small businesses in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area.

Achievements

During the ninth open enrollment period alone which took place from November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2022, WHI member organizations processed approximately  1,306 Marketplace applications and questions and 2,472 Medicaid applications. 

Successes from this open enrollment period include: creation of flyers and a social media strategy; strategic paper and electronic flyer distribution; analysis of Medicaid and Marketplace enrollment data from the past five years, and increasing outreach and developing relationships with new organizations including faith-based organizations, school districts, and employer groups across Washtenaw County.

Ongoing work

In recent years, the federal government has made substantial changes to the funding and organization of outreach, education, and enrollment activities for the Health Insurance Marketplace. These changes have made recent open enrollment periods shorter, have reduced funding for advertising open enrollment, and have reduced funding for staff at local organizations that provide enrollment assistance.

The Medicaid and Marketplace Outreach and Enrollment Work Group has focused on ensuring that these barriers don’t prevent vulnerable populations in Washtenaw County from applying for the health insurance they require.

As of 2022, MMOE has made an intentional effort to focus on aging adults to enhance their insurance plan comprehension and ensure financial literacy for medical billing.

Members

The MMOE work group members include staff and volunteers from University Health Services, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, Trinity Health, and the Washtenaw Health Plan.

For more information

Contact the work group’s co-chairs:

• Alena Hill, Senior Director Pre-Service, Michigan Medicine, alena@med.umich.edu
• Kimberly Hulbert, Manager of Benefit Advocacy, St. Joseph Mercy Health System Ann Arbor, kimberly.hulbert@stjoeshealth.org

Contact the work group’s health system leads:

Michigan Medicine Lead:

• Kim McCann; Patient Financial Advocate at University of Michigan Health System; mcckimbe@med.umich.edu>;

Trinity Health Lead:

• Kristie Moyer; Benefit Advocacy Team Lead at Trinity Health; Kristie.Moyer@trinity-health.org

Contact the work group’s staff representative:

• Erin Horne, Community Engagement Project Manager, Center for Health and Research Transformation, ekhorne@med.umich.edu