Early Implementation Lessons on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Outreach and Enrollment Efforts in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

Abstract

Enacted in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) intended to make health insurance coverage more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans. However, achieving this goal requires significant targeted, culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and education efforts for vulnerable communities, such as low-income, underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. This article describes multiple innovative strategies and approaches used by two well-established community health centers, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York and Asian Health Services in California, as well as the early-stage impacts of outreach and enrollment assistance for the state exchange marketplaces promoting the ACA.