Navigating Healthcare
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed into law and it represented a huge step forward towards creating opportunities for people with disabilities to have more comprehensive healthcare coverage. At the time of the ACA’s passage, it was estimated that 3.5 million people between the ages of 16 and 65 were uninsured and had either pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities. Additionally, many more people with disabilities had coverage which did not meet their needs. When the ACA marketplaces opened in the fall of 2013, people with disabilities suddenly had new options for their healthcare coverage including Medicaid in their state, possible Medicaid buy-in and expansion, and private insurance coverage through the ACA marketplace. Since 2013, AAHD has been involved in making sure that people with disabilities get accurate information when considering their coverage options and that health insurance enrollment assisters have the technical assistance they require to properly guide people with disabilities as they make these decisions. The following projects are some of the work that AAHD has done to accomplish the goals.
2013-2024
The National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC) launched in 2013 with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was a collaboration of 10 national disability organizations led by the American Association on Health and Disability. This initiative provides cross-disability information and support to Navigators and other enrollment specialists to ensure people with disabilities receive accurate information when choosing the right insurance plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace. The resources made available through NDNRC are aimed at health insurance navigators and other enrollment assisters. Learn more about NDNRC.
2017-2023
The Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Outreach Project aimed to educate and conduct outreach on enrolling in health insurance for people with disabilities and relevant stakeholders. AAHD created plain-language, consumer-facing materials that advertised open and special enrollment periods. Materials emphasized key messages around financial assistance, in-person help, and the importance of the disability community having access to accessible and affordable health insurance. AAHD partnered with national, state and local organizations to disseminate materials, specifically those who worked with people with disabilities, young adults, immigrant communities, persons of color and persons who identify as LGBTQ+. This project was funded by Community Catalyst with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from 2017-2023.
2019-2023
The Health Insurance Literacy Academy (HILA) Project developed and implemented a health insurance literacy training academy for CIL staff so that they, in turn, can empower people with disabilities to make knowledgeable and confident private and public health insurance choices. HILA was a partnership among the American Association on Health & Disability (AAHD), Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU), the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL). The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and the Association for Programs in Rural Independent Living (APRIL) assisted in recruitment of training participants. This project was funded by NIDILRR (grant number 90IFDV0010) from 2019-2023. Read more about HILA.
For more information, email Jacob Ditsch @ jditsch@aahd.us