The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #33535

Paula S. Williams, MPH¹, Cindy Levey, MPH¹, and Helen DuPlessis, MD, MPH². (1) Health Promotion and Education Department, L.A. Care Health Plan, 555 West 5th Street, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013, 213-694-1250 x4364, pwilliams@lacare.org, (2) Chief Medical Officer, L.A. Care Health Plan, 555 West 5th Street, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013

When parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) seek health services for their children, they are often faced with fragmented, complicated systems of care. As many Medicaid clients are moved from fee-for-service plans to managed care, parents face new systems and procedures, which may be particularly difficult to navigate for families with limited economic resources and language and cultural barriers. L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care health plan, developed and implemented a project to assist these families in accessing available services. The project, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration--Maternal and Child Health Bureau, consists of a special needs resource guide for parents and an educational curriculum. The resource guide, available in English and Spanish, is designed to assist parents in navigating the health care system, finding solutions to health plan problems, advocating for their child’s health care needs, utilizing community and government services for CSHCN, and keeping a medical history notebook. The bilingual curriculum supplements the resource guide by providing skills training to help parents of CSHCN navigate the systems of care and build advocacy skills to partner more effectively with professionals to ensure their child’s health care needs are met. The project is supported by a CSHCN Advisory Group, which consists of parents, providers, and community and public agencies serving CSHCN. The Advisory Group provides expertise and encourages partnerships to provide family-centered care to CSHCN. Parents of CSHCN provided extensive input during needs assessments, materials development, field-testing, outreach and training.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant should be able to

• Identify challenges facing parents of CSHCN when navigating the managed care system,
• Recognize government and community resources available to parents, and
• Discuss methods of involving parents and other stakeholders in a health education intervention.

Keywords: Advocacy, Managed Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: L.A. Care Health Plan
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee, L.A. Care Health Plan