State Experience with ACA Open Enrollment: Early Successes and Lessons
Individuals and families began to explore options and enroll in coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on October 1, 2013. States now have nine weeks of experience with open enrollment under their belts and can share early lessons learned in what worked and what did not, and managing the rough spots. During this Maximizing Enrollment and State Refor(u)m-sponsored webinar, a NASHP expert will describe some of the early experiences shared by state officials at the 2013 NASHP Annual State Health Policy Conference and other NASHP convenings held in October. Officials from states with different marketplace and Medicaid models will reflect on open enrollment in their states so far, highlighting their successes and challenges to date, their experiences with outreach and messaging, and how their operations and systems are performing. Panelists will describe their approaches in these key areas and identify priority areas for states as they look to January 1, 2014 when health insurance coverage under ACA takes effect.
Participants:
- Moderator: Catherine Hess, Co-Director, Maximizing Enrollment; Managing Director for Coverage and Access, National Academy for State Health Policy
- Speaker: Joanne Jee, Program Director, National Academy for State Health Policy
- Speaker: Michael Koetting, Deputy Director for Planning and Reform Implementation, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
- Speaker: Richard Onizuka, Chief Executive Officer, Washington Health Benefit Exchange
- Speaker: John Supra, Deputy Director for Information Management and Chief Information Officer, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services
| Click to download presentation slides (PDF) | 7 MB |
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
