The first study to gauge the impact of state restrictions on the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) indicates that community health centers across the country are engaged in an intensive effort to find and enroll eligible and uninsured patients and community residents. At the same time, the findings show that health centers working in restrictive states are hampered in their outreach and enrollment efforts and are significantly less optimistic about the impact of health reform in their communities. Using data from a nationwide survey, conducted in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers, the authors examined the efforts of community health centers to identify and enroll uninsured people, many of whom live in rural and urban communities that face high poverty rates, elevated health risks and a shortage of primary health care. The brief is authored by Peter Shin, PhD, MPH Jessica Sharac, Msc, MPH, Julia Zur, PhD, Carmen Alvarez, PhD, CNP, CNM and Sara Rosenbaum, JD of the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
35. Assessing the Potential Impact of State Policies on Community Health Centers’ Outreach and Enrollment Activities.
