Connecting with small employers: The key to insuring the working poor?

Kamal Muilenburg¹, Michael R. Cousineau, DrPH², Alicia Kokkinis, MA², and Dolly Yang, MPH Candidate². (1) San Diego Business Healthcare Connection, 1551 Fourth Avenue, Suite 440, San Diego, CA 92101, 619-231-0333, kmuilenburg@sdbhc.org, (2) Department of Family Medicine, Division of Community Health, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, 3716 South Hope Street, Suite 256, Los Angeles, CA 90007

This paper presents results of an evaluation of a community-based project in San Diego that provided education and guidance to small employers regarding private and public health insurance options. Key informant interviews with project collaborators and surveys with employers were employed to assess the process of connecting with small employers, the effectiveness of educational messages, and the outcomes of the intervention.

While rising costs will continue to be a barrier to small employers offering coverage, recent research has shown that even those small employers who are considering offering health benefits have a low awareness of market protections and options. The value of providing education and assistance, without premium subsidies, has not yet been examined.

The evaluation found that the success of an intervention targeting small employers rests on creating personal and ongoing connections with employers. Effective outreach strategies were those conducted in collaboration with trusted organizations representing small employers. Educational approaches that addressed small employers’ limited resources and time and educational messages that were tailored to the small employer’s business characteristics and knowledge base garnered the most interest from employers. Often, small employers were simply seeking insurance quotes: assistance in referring employers to insurance brokers following education was perceived by employers as a necessary and valuable component of the intervention. Although the number of small employers purchasing insurance following the intervention was small, the study found that many small employers’ knowledge of the insurance market increased and a substantial number are considering purchasing coverage in the future.

Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives

Understand the current political, economic and health policy climate surrounding the issue of uninsured workers in California
Describe the characteristics of non-offering small firms that employ uninsured workers, and the barriers these employers face in providing coverage
Recognize the utility of a project that may not immediately increase insurance coverage among workers of small firms
Articulate key findings and recommendations for increasing the number of small employers offering coverage to uninsured workers.

Keywords: Insurance, Evaluation

Related Web page: www.sdbhc.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: San Diego Business Healthcare Connection
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.

Recorded presentation

Reaching for the Goal of Universal Health Insurance

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA