Shawn Dhanak is the communications lead for Michigan’s chapter of Enroll America.
His duties focus on customers’ relations and “amplifying outreach to the community and broader
public via the media.†He manages the state’s Enroll America page, which is updated with news
concerning enrollment events and information about the ACA, as well as stories from consumers
who have recently been enrolled. Additionally, Shawn maintains Enroll Michigan’s social
media presence by tweeting and being active on Facebook. Shawn is also involved with
gathering– and keeping in contact with– volunteers for Enroll Michigan’s outreach programs
and enrollment events.
While currently the focus of Shawn’s organization has been on informing consumers
about Healthy Michigan, and facilitating enrollment for it, there is still an emphasis on educating
potential consumers about the regular insurance options available in new marketplaces. The
current focus on Healthy Michigan “doesn’t mean we’re not going door to door and holding
phone banks and educating people who are still most likely uninsured.†Enroll Michigan is
trying to get across to consumers important messages including the ongoing nature of enrollment
(for Healthy Michigan), the existence of special enrollment periods (in the event of a life-
changing circumstance), and the availability of tax credits.
According to Shawn, Enroll Michigan’s work was very successful in getting people to
sign up for an insurance plan during the first open enrollment period for the ACA. While
“Enroll America doesn’t actually do any of the actual enrollment- that is up to our partners:
federally certified application counselors and navigators,†the outreach programs have yielded
impressive numbers. Nearly 100,000 Michiganders have been educated about the ACA and
opportunities for gaining health insurance, and over 772,000 have been enrolled in an insurance
plan as a result of the outreach efforts (with roughly 259,000 Michiganders enrolling in Healthy
Michigan plans).
However, while there is cause for celebration, “there’s a ton more work to do,†Shawn
said. Major outreach efforts still need to occur in order to reach those who are currently
uninsured and educate them about their options. Also, lessons that were learned during the first
round of open enrollment need to be applied to this upcoming round in order to refine the
process of gathering and enrolling citizens. Educating the public is one of the biggest things, in
Shawn’s opinion, that needs to be emphasized during the second enrollment period, especially
about the fact that insurance is more affordable than ever thanks to the opportunity for tax credits
(something most unenrolled people know little about). Evidence to the affordability of these
new insurance plans is underscored by a recent survey revealing 80-90% of new insurance
holders are positive they can afford their monthly premiums. Another take-away from the first
round of enrollment is the importance of in-person assistance, as surveys have shown that there
is large desire for aid when filling out the online form to enroll in a health insurance plan.
Shawn was very positive about the effects the ACA has- and will have- on the health of
American citizens. He himself was greatly aided by the passage of the ACA, as due to a
“profound pre-existing condition,†his parents’ insurance company was going to kick him off at
the age of 24, and he would have had an extremely difficult time trying to find another insurance
company to take him on as a customer. Now though, thanks to the ACA, neither of those factors
is a barrier to Shawn having health insurance. With the ACA in place, there is “greater
consumer protection, peace of mind, and financial security†for those with health insurance.