142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

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Promising practices and lessons for reaching and enrolling racially and ethnically diverse communities in health insurance marketplaces

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 4:30 PM - 4:50 PM

Nadia J. Siddiqui, MPH , Texas Health Institute, Austin, TX
Dennis P. Andrulis, PhD, MPH , Senior Research Scientist, Texas Health Institute, Austin, TX
Lauren Jahnke, MPAff , LRJ Research & Consulting, Austin, TX
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that each state’s navigator program for its health insurance marketplace consider culture and language in outreach and enrollment. Despite this intent, data suggest that a majority of eligible non-white and limited English proficient individuals are not enrolling for reasons including lack of awareness, lack of trust, and limited health insurance literacy. Recognizing the need for more tailored, effective outreach, The San Francisco Foundation is providing support to document models and strategies emerging across the country for effectively educating and enrolling diverse communities in the marketplace. Our study applies a multi-pronged approach including: a review and synthesis of research on outreach and enrollment in diverse communities, ACA-related federal guidelines for navigators and assisters, and emerging state/local initiatives, along with semi-structured interviews with leading states. To ground theory in practice, we also convened a co-educational forum in the San Francisco Bay Area, engaging key navigator and assister stakeholders to reach consensus on implications and practical application of study findings for local outreach and enrollment efforts. Our session will present findings, highlighting effective strategies for addressing equity, diversity, and cultural competency in navigator and assister program structure, staffing and training, communication and marketing, outreach and enrollment, and evaluation. Specific models will be presented from leading states, such as California and Connecticut, along with emerging tools and strategies for meeting federal requirements to assure culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach. Major challenges to advancing equity through navigators and assisters and practical ways to overcome them will also be discussed.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe the requirements embedded in the Affordable Care Act and related federal guidance on assuring culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and education in the marketplace. Identify practical strategies, tools, and resources that have proven to be effective or hold promise for incorporating, educating, and enrolling racially and ethnically diverse individuals in the health insurance marketplace. Describe common barriers and challenges to reaching and enrolling diverse communities and effective ways for addressing and overcoming them in states and localities.

Keyword(s): Affordable Care Act, Health Disparities/Inequities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Senior Analyst on this project, I have led the concept and research design of this study, directed major aspects of its execution, and taken the lead in organizing and executing the co-educational forum. I have been managing and leading the analysis of many of the Institute's health equity and health reform projects since 2010, have presented this work at numerous scientific meetings, and have served as co-author on various reports and publications.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.