Implementation of New York’s health benefit Exchange is now well underway, and policymakers are estimating that over one million New Yorkers will enroll in some form of health insurance through the Exchange.  Yet, the vast majority of New Yorkers still don’t understand what the Exchange is or what it will do.  Many others have not even heard about it yet.

With the Exchange set to start accepting enrollment applications in October of this year, it is quickly becoming clear that the State is in dire need of a public engagement campaign.

What it boils down to is that there are currently around 2.8 million New Yorkers who are uninsured.  The Exchange is, above all, being created so that these folks will be able to find and enroll into quality, affordable health coverage.  But, how can the State policymakers who are designing and implementing the Exchange know that they are building a system that will work for New York’s uninsured, without actually asking them about it?

At the same time, in order the reach its goal of getting one milion New Yorkers enrolled through the Exchange, the State will have to find a way to get these one million New Yorkers informed about the Exchange, motivated to pursue coverage through it, and able to use the system.

That’s a lot to accomplish in just 8 months!

HCFANY has put together a short policy brief on this issue, with recommendations for State policymakers on how to get the public engaged and informed about the NYS Exchange.

Click here to read the HCFANY policy brief titled “Reaching One Million More New Yorkers: A Successfulc Enrollment Campaign for the Exchange.”