Where can low-income health consumers go when their children are sick and have no insurance, if their insurance denies them a much-needed wheelchair, or if they mistakenly receive a hospital bill for $10,000?
The Health Consumer Alliance is a united effort of legal aid and health policy agencies in California that responds to low-income physical and mental health consumers' problems. Seven Health Consumer Centers housed in legal aid agencies conduct outreach, education, consumer assistance and advocacy throughout California, where more than 60% of the state's low-income people reside. The Centers provide multi-lingual assistance to individuals seeking resolution to their problems. Educational materials are available in over 13 languages, such as Hmong, Tagolog, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian and Farsi.
To determine the effectiveness of these independent Health Consumer Centers in assisting consumers to resolve health care problems, the USC Evaluation Team collects feedback from consenting participants. The Consumer Survey is used to understand consumers' satisfaction with the services provided, as well as their ability to access healthcare, use of preventive services, and understand their health coverage status.
The Consumer Survey, to continue through the end of 2001, already includes data from almost 500 participants. Overall, results indicate high levels of satisfaction with the Health Consumer Centers, yet show that consumers are faced with multiple barriers and encounter complex problems regarding access to care and coverage. At APHA 2001, aggregate Consumer Survey data will be presented to illustrate the unique role of independent Health Consumer Centers regarding diverse consumer health problems.
See healthconsumer.orgLearning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to: -Articulate the value of independent health consumer centers -Understand six common problems faced by low-income consumers in California -Identify five ways in which health consumer centers have played a role in assisting consumers
Keywords: Insurance-Related Barriers, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Health Law Program
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.