A coalition of health organizations has announced a joint effort to promote enrollment in health coverage in Arkansas. Arkansans For Coverage (AFC) will educate Arkansans about their health coverage options and make it easier to navigate the system and enroll.

In 2014, Arkansas lawmakers created barriers to enrollment, prohibiting the Arkansas Insurance Department, the Department of Health, and the DHS Division of Medical Services from promoting enrollment in health coverage. AFC is stepping in to fill that gap.

“Health coverage is important for Arkansans families,” says Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), one of the organizations taking a leadership role in AFC. “Coverage provides economic security and it helps people access the preventive care they need in order to stay healthy. But in order for Arkansans to be aware of and enroll in new, affordable options in Arkansas, they first need to know it exists. That’s why effective outreach and public education is so important.”

AACF recently released a survey showing that when people got the information and the help they needed, they were more successful in finding affordable health coverage options. According to the survey, 92 percent of consumers who had help with enrollment were able to get the information they needed about affordable health coverage during the open enrollment period last year.

“What we also learned, though, was that the enrollment process can be complex, and that there’s a need for more outreach and education efforts. Since the legislature voted to end that kind of outreach, AFC will try to provide that kind of effort,” Huddleston says.

AFC will be a joint effort by AACF, the Arkansas Hospital Association, the Arkansas Interfaith Alliance, the Arkansas Minority Health Consortium, Partners for Inclusive Communities, and Community Health Centers of Arkansas.

Arkansans for Coverage is a network that supports assisters with technical assistance, peer-to-peer information sharing, social media assistance, and best practices for enrollment. The group will also advocate for a smooth consumer experience in enrollment by working with state and federal agencies.

Leonard Stern, an in-person assister who works in northeast Arkansas, says he sees the need for enrollment outreach and education every day.

“When people are looking for help enrolling in health coverage, they just want straight answers to their highly personal questions,” Stern says. “As in-person assisters, we’re there to help. We listen to their stories and explain their choices. I think this work is important to our state’s future and good for Arkansas and its economy.”

More information about Arkansans For Coverage is available here.