OVERVIEW
Milwaukee Enrollment Network (MKEN)
Adequate and affordable health insurance coverage is the gateway to health care access, and improving the health of individuals and our community.
While the Affordable Care Act (2010) has improved health care coverage and reduced the uninsured rate to 5.5% in Milwaukee County; complex eligibility and enrollment processes call for a community-wide plan to help individuals understand, buy and keep health care coverageMore than 69,000 of Milwaukee County residents remain uninsured and most are eligible for Medicaid (BadgerCare), or subsidies in the health insurance Marketplace.
Members of the Milwaukee Enrollment Network (MKEN) are working together to facilitate consumer outreach and education, and provide enrollment assistance to residents in our community.
MKEN is a consortium of nearly 100 organizations supporting the enrollment, and re-enrollment of eligible individuals in public or private insurance with a focus on low-income, vulnerable populations. It is co-convened by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) and Covering Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Enrollment Network Goals:
- Build the capacity and capability of the enrollment assister workforce and infrastructure
- Facilitate consumer and mobilizer education and health insurance literacy
- Assist consumers with insurance enrollment, retention and renewal
- Measure / report enrollment outcomes and support MKEN operational effectiveness
Enrollment Assisters and Mobilizers
Enrollment assisters include certified application counselors, navigators, agents, brokers and public benefit specialists. In addition to supporting enrollment, assisters work to build networks to create strong referral relationships with “mobilizer agencies.” Mobilizer agencies are MKEN partners that do not specifically offer enrollment assistance publicly but reach residents of our various target communities through their organizations’ efforts.