During the past two open enrollment periods of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), our member hospitals have helped countless vulnerable people across the nation understand their options for, and access, health care coverage.

This ceaseless work to connect patients to coverage reflects their commitment to the vulnerable, as well as a basic economic reality: To sustain their mission, our hospitals must sustain themselves, and more covered patients means less uncompensated care. With an aggregate operating margin of negative 3.2 percent, our hospitals need to reduce uncompensated care.

Understanding this and knowing our hospitals serve as trusted community resources, America’s Essential Hospitals has for the past few years proudly supported national enrollment efforts. This year, we helped spread the word again as part of the Enroll America 2016 Provider and Hospital Week of Action.

This campaign recognizes that getting affordable health coverage can be an intimidating process, and that providers are in the best position to help patients through the coverage process. Studies by Enroll America show that hospital and health care providers are among the most trusted voices for the uninsured when they have questions about coverage choices, and that a person who meets with an enrollment assister is 60 percent more likely to successfully enroll.

So, a crucial element of this year’s campaign is the Get Covered Connector, an easy online tool to schedule an appointment with an enrollment expert. Other resources are available, including tools to help patients understand their coverage costs and calculate coverage needs. Visit GetCoveredAmerica.org to access all the available resources, and help us share these tools.