This week, more than 25 separate groups joined an Enroll Nebraska statewide webinar to learn more about how they can help get Nebraskans enrolled in health insurance coverage. These were not the usual suspects of health clinics, community action agencies and hospitals but a diverse group of faith leaders, government agencies, community organizations and advocates.
It was a great showing for the first meeting of a group that has great potential. We’re calling it the Education and Engagement Group, its purpose being to organize outreach, referrals and volunteers throughout the state in support of Nebraska’s In-Person Enrollment Assisters. These including Navigators and Certified Application Counselors (CACs) helping individuals and families choose the right health insurance for their situation in a free and unbiased way. The group will meet quarterly and is open to anyone interested in learning more about the ACA and referring individuals to enrollment assistance.
Quarterly, you say? Yes, quarterly! We believe that communicating our message (“we can help you get health insurance”) through existing and trusted networks should be a low-commitment, but high-impact way to get the word out. Organizations not directly involved in health care can participate in the webinar and walk away with specific next steps to complete quickly and easily.
In this webinar, groups were given a presentation about the basics of the Affordable Care Act, some first-person experience from Pam Smith, a Navigator doing enrollment assistance work every day at Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties, and then offered some specific materials to share with their networks. Committing to help people get covered can be as simple as sharing a flyer or retweeting a message on Twitter. Other opportunities included offering up shared space or organizing volunteers to assist with an enrollment event. It was a successful event by all accounts and one that we hope see expand.
For organizations interested in getting involved, email enrollnebraska@gmail.com to stay updated on upcoming meeting dates and outreach materials. You can also visit enrollnebraska.org/eeg to stay up to date on the group’s activities or download past meeting and outreach materials.
With your help, we can make sure more Nebraskans are able to find the health coverage that’s important to everyone.