Oral

The following session will discuss several contributing issues that account for poor healthcare access. One of the major factors contributing to lower rate of health access for low income communities is transportation to and from the healthcare centers and insists that the issue be resolved to improve healthcare access. The session will include a discussion of how health insurance coverage isn’t the only determinant of access to healthcare among children. Other factors like transportation despite the status of health insurance plays a significant role in health care access. In addition, the data does not take into account percentage of children who are inadequately covered. Also, included is a study that presents the process of implementing a navigation program and different factors like communication, training and support that help in evaluating the success of a navigation program. Another presentation discusses individual mandates as tools for health reform. Several critical issues like defining affordable insurance are discussed since they are necessary in making a mandate an effective and equitable means of expanded insurance coverage.

Session Objectives: Describe the barriers to health care faced by low-income individuals, discuss methods used to assess impact of transportation on their access to care and formulate general policy solutions to this problem. Discuss the challenges and lessons learned from implementing a patient navigation program. Describe barriers to child health care access, understand survey methodologies and explain why increasing SCHIP enrollment is insufficient to ensure child healthcare access. Identify critical issues for developing fair and effective insurance mandates and assessing the relevant barriers to individual insurance mandates for reform at the national and state level.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)