The average community college student is 27 years old—a prime age when young adults are starting their own families, going back to school, and have aged out of their parents’ health coverage. For many students who lost Medicaid coverage this year, it’s also the first time they’ve had to shop for affordable health insurance.
Central New Mexico Community College is the largest community college in the state. They are a gem of a resource, providing high-quality education, career pathways and services that support students’ basic needs while they are in school.
So, when leaders of the newly expanded Wellness CNM resource center saw a growing need for health insurance coverage among their students, they turned to another reliable community partner: BeWell.
CNM invited BeWell to meet with students and faculty during their food pantry distribution hours. From there, our partnership grew to inviting interested individuals to a virtual health insurance enrollment event. BeWell placed flyers in the food pantry bags, and CNM sent text messages to students inviting them to attend.
“About 30 people attended,” said Tonya Bruno, Director of Outreach for BeWell. “It was wonderful to see so many students take interest and to get a chance to help.”
Related reading: CNM Has Partnered with BeWellNM to Help Students Access Affordable or No-Cost Plans
A Growing Partnership on Campus
Wellness CNM continues to grow, creating new career-readiness opportunities for students—and organically extending the reach of BeWell’s health insurance enrollment outreach.
Students can now participate in Social Work internships, training with case managers in conducting needs assessments and coordinating services based on students’ self-reported social determinants of health, including access to affordable health insurance. CNM case managers can refer students who are not eligible for Medicaid to BeWell for a no-obligation, no-cost consultation to explore their health insurance options.
And as of summer 2024, meeting with students is now a lot easier! CNM has granted BeWell a dedicated office at (900 University Blvd., Albuquerque)—a win-win both institutions.
As CNM case managers and social workers identify students who could benefit, they refer those students to our campus office. BeWell Outreach and Engagement Specialist Misti Dickens is on site to help students search for and enroll in health plans every Tuesday from 10am-2pm.
The college also sends out periodic text messages and emails to students, letting them know about the partnership and BeWell’s resources.
Working with the Wellness CNM has given more students an opportunity to get familiar with BeWell. For example, Misti is collaborating with the Native American Student Advisory Committee to do more focused outreach with Native Americans, who can enroll in health insurance year-round through BeWell.
As our partnership grows, we hope to extend BeWell’s free enrollment support services to even more cultural and interest groups. There may also be future opportunities to meet with students at other CNM campuses.
Increasing Engagement Off-Campus, Too
Next, we are working with CNM to expand our partnership into the community. Wellness CNM is hosting a BeWell community enrollment event in November, during open enrollment. Our goal is to bring more people to campus, highlighting CNM’s position as a pillar in the community.
“It’s a true partnership,” said Bruno. “Because partnerships are working together to serve the community. BeWell is a resource for the work that CNM is doing to support students, and CNM is our partner to help educate students about their health insurance options.”
If you are a CNM student, stop by the Wellness Center for help to enroll in low-cost health insurance through BeWell. We’re there every Tuesday from 10:00am to 2:00pm to answer questions and provide no-cost help to enroll in an affordable plan.
Not a CNM student? Or Tuesdays don’t work for you? BeWell Certified Assisters are available by phone or online all week! Call us at 833-862-3935 or schedule a one-on-one online appointment today.
