Mobile apps streamline efficiency in health insurance enrollments

It’s been more than a decade since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted and the first state-based marketplaces (SBMs) were established. The 2025 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period marked the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking enrollment. 

As consumers enroll in and renew their coverage through SBMs, innovative technologies like mobile apps are streamlining access to coverage. For instance, marketplaces like New York’s, with its award-winning mobile app emphasizing consumer experience, have set a national standard for facilitating enrollment and retention. 

Innovative technology helps state-based marketplaces evolve

In 2013, New York was one of the first states to establish an SBM with the support of Maximus. Under a “single point of entry” model, NY State of Health (NYSOH) consumers use one streamlined application to enroll in the coverage they’re eligible for: Medicaid, Basic Health Plan, Children’s Health Insurance Program, or Qualified Health Plan. Today, NYSOH provides coverage to more than 6.5 million New Yorkers. 

Implementing multichannel engagement channels — website, interactive voice response, web chat, text messaging, and mobile apps — has enabled consumers to access their benefits faster. Tools like call simulations and micro-learning have also increased the speed and proficiency of NYSOH contact center agents, allowing them to better meet consumers' needs.

The future is mobile

According to the Pew Research Center, 90 percent of Americans own a smartphone. While adults from lower-income households are less likely to have broadband home internet access, they maintain high smartphone ownership rates. Today, most people are comfortable and even rely on mobile devices to complete tasks. 

States can draw on this narrowing digital divide to improve the consumer’s experience with their health insurance enrollment process. Mobile apps, text messaging, and mobile-optimized websites contribute to a more seamless process that better meets consumers’ needs through their preferred technology. Ensuring the enrollment process is secure, reliable, and efficient benefits consumers while contributing to improved health outcomes for states.