The growing awareness among public health professionals of the importance of functional health literacy, typically defined as a patient’s ability to read and follow clinical directives, is a welcome development in the shared effort to improve the health and well being of disadvantaged communities. Literacy skills are needed beyond the clinical encounter in order for patients to fully participate in the health delivery system. Studies have shown, for example, that having health insurance is a predictor of having received health care in the last year. And lack of insurance is often associated with poorer health and delayed or denied health care services. Getting health insurance is no easy task: as the 43 million uninsured Americans attests to. Although the federal Medicaid program and the State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (income-based public insurance programs) are available to people meeting certain income guidelines, it is estimated that more than half of the insured in the U.S. are eligible for one of these programs but are either unaware of the program or discouraged from applying. Among the barriers to enrollment are the complex written application process and the information overload on these programs which coauses confusion even among social service professionals. This presentation will focus on a programmatic approach to increasing enrollment and utilization of public health insurance programs through the development of a community-based outreach and education program in New York City. It will explore community-based activities that provide support and skills training to community residents and leaders on how to negotiate through complex government bureaucracies. See www.mccapny.org
Learning Objectives: 1. Identification of literacy and language barriers to information and navigation of enrollment in Medicaid and Medicaid managed care 2. Discussion of emerging communication strategies through the use of community based organizations to disseminate and assist low-literate and non-literate with Medicaid system
Keywords: Medicare/Medicaid, Access to Health Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Community Service Society of New York
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.