Young Latinos Will Have New Digital Platforms for Open Enrollment 4

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Young adults had the highest uninsured rates before the Affordable Care Act and have seen the sharpest drop in uninsured rates since 2010. Latinos currently make up the largest population of uninsured individuals overall.

Latinos are also the youngest racial or ethnic group in the U.S. Nearly one-third of the nation’s Latino population is younger than 18. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly six-in-ten Latinos are Millennials or younger. Millions of young adults remain uninsured and new tools are needed to bridge the gap to obtaining coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

“More than 9 in 10 Marketplace-eligible young adults without health insurance have incomes that could qualify them for tax credits to make plans affordable, but that fact hasn’t fully penetrated the millennial community, and we want to change that,” said Kevin Counihan, HealthCare.gov CEO in a recent news release. “This year, we’ll be using new tactics and strategies to reach young adults where they are and deliver the message that they have affordable coverage options.”

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For the first time ever, Open Enrollment will be made easier thanks to greater access on mobile devices. According to Pew, 80% of Latino adults access the internet from a mobile device. Last year, enrollment through HealthCare.gov was available through mobile devices. However, shopping and comparing plans was often difficult and time consuming. This year, consumers will now find an “end-to-end, mobile optimized experience, including a new state-of-the-art shopping process.”

For the first time, an improved ability to comparison shop on a phone or table is available. Rather than having to click on boxes or zoom in on small screens, there is now an “intuitive navigation and a streamlined interface to compare plans.”

“These new tactics will both benefit young Americans and strengthen the Marketplace risk pool,” said Counihan.