Outreaching to an AAPI Community's Uninsured: Lessons Learned

Background/Significance: The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population grew the fastest among the four largest minority groups in the United States between 2000 and 2010, an increase of 43 percent. In Arizona, the AAPI population grew two times faster than the national percentage: 91.6 percent for Asian alone and 87.9 percent for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone. There were 256,013 AAPI persons (race alone and in combination) residing in Arizona in 2010. There are many AAPI uninsured in Arizona.

Objective/Purpose: The University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Center for Rural Health received a Navigator Grant to reduce the number of AAPI uninsured in Pima County, Arizona.  

Methods: The Navigator Program used a four-step approach to outreach the AAPI uninsured. The first step was to meet with the AAPI community leaders to determine if there is a need for assistance to outreach their uninsured. If there is, the Program worked closely with the leaders to come up with most appropriate outreach strategies and community presentation(s). The next step was to give presentation(s) in both English and the community’s preferred language, if needed. The third step is to follow up with the AAPI uninsured who indicated on the attendance sheet they would like assistance in getting healthcare coverage. The final step is to provide assistance to the AAPI uninsured to obtain health care coverage.

Results: The Marshallese community comprised of two groups. The Program team had met with the leaderships of both groups, separately. Both groups asked the Program to provide outreach and community presentations to their uninsured. Community presentations were given in January 2014 and the Program followed-up with those who needed assistance.    

Discussion/Conclusions: The presentation describes the approach used to outreach the Marshallese uninsured, and summarizes the outreach results and lessons learned.