Enroll America and Private Insurers Push Healthcare Exchange Education

While some awareness programs like Enroll America are campaigning hospitals to join forces in raising awareness about healthcare exchanges, many other private insurers are rolling out their own educational programs. Modern Healthcare reports:

Hospitals and health insurers that will benefit from the new paying customers generated by next year's expansion of insurance coverage under the health reform law have moved quietly on their own to promote consumers' new options.

The moves come after HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius came under fire from Republicans in Congress, who have questioned whether she solicited firms and institutions regulated by her department to contribute money to Enroll America, the privately organized not-for-profit that is working to build public awareness about the new law. Congress has not appropriated funds to educate the uninsured about their coverage options under the new law, which will be offered to the public starting Oct. 1 when open enrollment begins for the insurance exchanges.

The high-profile criticism—Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) likened the administration's efforts to sidestep the funding ban to the Iran-Contra scandal—may be having a chilling effect on some healthcare providers' willingness to contribute to Enroll America's campaign. At a media briefing Tuesday, officials from the new group refused to divulge how far along it was in achieving its $100 million fundraising goal.

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