California enrolled 1.4 million people in new private health insurance plans during the first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In February, as state officials were administering the sign-up campaign, research supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) was conducted to study the experiences of consumers attempting to enroll online at www.CoveredCA.com.

CHCF commissioned gotomedia, a San Francisco-based user interface research and design firm, to observe and interview a diverse group of Californians applying from computers in their own homes. Researchers observed consumers as they explored the site, created accounts, entered household and income data, and compared health plan options.

While consumers initially found the site welcoming, they often struggled to understand what questions meant, where they were in the process, and how their options fit within a bigger context. As a result, the accuracy of consumer responses and their ability to complete the process suffered. Study findings point to clear and actionable ways to minimize some of these errors.

Hear experts discuss the study’s results:

• Deborah Bachrach, partner, Manatt Health Solutions
• Anastasia Dodson, associate director of policy, California Department of Health Care Services
• Thien Lam, eligibility and enrollment director, Covered California
• Alison Meier, senior user experience strategist and research lead, gotomedia
• Marian Mulkey, director, Health Reform and Public Programs, CHCF

A recording of this webinar and the presentation slides are available below.