Health Coverage Enrollment Training and Resources Available in Spanish

While the uninsured rate fell to an all-time low in the latest Census data, people with limited English proficiency (LEP) continue to be uninsured at higher rates than people who are English proficient, and they are at greater risk of losing Medicaid or experiencing a gap in coverage during Medicaid unwinding. People with LEP are more likely to work in industries that pay lower wages and don’t offer health insurance. Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage can help fill this gap if people are aware of their options and have the support they need to enroll and navigate coverage transitions if their eligibility changes.

The most common language spoken by people with LEP is Spanish. In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of people with LEP speak Spanish as their primary language. That’s why it’s critical that outreach messages, technical assistance materials, and resources to assist enrollment assisters are available in Spanish.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Beyond the Basics project provides training and resources that explain Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and ACA marketplace eligibility and enrollment processes for Navigators, advocates, state and local officials, and others who help consumers get and keep their health coverage. The project offers a host of training and technical assistance materials in Spanish designed to help Navigators, Certified Application Counselors, and other enrollment assisters who work with Spanish-speaking clients.

Beyond the Basics is also presenting a live webinar in Spanish on Thursday October 26 at 2 p.m. ET on health coverage enrollment issues of greatest relevance to people who are immigrants or who live in mixed immigration status households: Asistiendo a consumidores hispanos a obtener cobertura médica: consejos y mejores prácticas. The webinar will also cover any new developments in Medicaid and marketplace eligibility for people who are immigrants, including the latest on the proposed federal rule issued in April 2023 that would grant legally present status to people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Please explore and share these resources with others in the outreach and enrollment community who serve people who speak Spanish and encourage people in your network to register for the October 26 webinar.

Beyond the Basics resources available in Spanish:

• Income Calculation Worksheet [Planilla de cálculos de ingresos]
• Plan Comparison Worksheet [Planilla de comparación de planes del Mercado de Seguros Médicos]
• Checklist: What to Bring to An Appointment [¿Está solicitano segurao médico a través de CuidadoSalud.gov?]
• Spanish-English Glossary of Application and Enrollment Terms [Glosario]
• Medicaid Unwinding Tips for Community Partners
• Webinar slides and recording: Navegando el proceso de revisión de eligibilidad de Medicaid “unwinding” (May 2023)
• Webinar slides and recording: Seminario para asistentes bilingües: cómo apoyar a la comunidad hispana a obtener cobertura de salud (October 2022)