Auto-enrollment is a promising strategy for ensuring that as many eligible individuals as possible take part in states’ coverage programs. The term "auto-enrollment" refers to a strategy in which eligible but uninsured individuals receive coverage based on information already available to state officials, without going through a formal application process. These strategies have been highly successful with both public and private benefit programs, including retirement savings plans, Medicare Part B, and the National School Lunch Program.
In May, the State Coverage Initiatives program held a meeting on auto-enrollment. A paper authored by the Urban Institute’s Stan Dorn, Automatic Enrollment Strategies: Helping State Coverage Expansions Achieve Their Goals, is now available. In addition, the agenda and presentations from the small group consultation meeting can be found at www.statecoverage.net/0507agenda.htm.
