December 2, 2009: Stan Dorn spoke yesterday at an Alliance for Health Reform policy briefing in Washington, D.C. The briefing featured a discussion about effective and efficient mechanisms for determining eligibility for public insurance programs and enrolling those who are eligible.
In his presentation "Will the Uninsured Enroll into Coverage under National Health Reform?" Mr. Dorn used his SHARE research on Massachusetts to illustrate effective mechanisms for streamlining enrollment. Such mechanisms include (among others) data-driven eligibility, intensive application assistance, and the use of a single application and eligibility process for multiple public insurance programs. Mr. Dorn pointed to Massachusetts' historically low uninsured rate as evidence of the success of these strategies. In addition, he called attention to the speed with which enrollment occurred in Massachusetts, the low number of enrollment errors seen, and the reduced operational administrative costs incurred.
Mr. Dorn's recent SHARE issue brief, "The Secrets of Massachusetts' Success: Why 97 Percent of State Residents Have Health Coverage," was featured at the Alliance meeting alongside his presentation. The brief authored by SHARE researchers at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, "Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus Coverage Expansion and Simplification: Early Data on Program Impact," was also featured and distributed to attendees.