Local promoters achieve success
In New York City, Sandra Harris, executive director of the Northern Manhattan Community Voices Coalition, says they have had their greatest success through use of community health promoters. Community-based organizations engage individuals who have been through the enrollment process to share their experience with others in their communities in terms of the importance of maintaining health and how the process works.
"Word-of-mouth efforts work in taking out the myths about the enrollment process," Ms. Harris tells State Health Watch.
An evaluation of the success of the program found that 43% of families referred to the state agency came through the community promoters, Ms. Harris says.
"The promoters also are important because they help us maintain contact after an initial encounter," she adds. "Too often, we have tended to lose families as they start through the process."
The coalition has links with workers outstationed in hospital emergency departments to help identify the uninsured who are using the emergency department as a primary care physician.
Although Community Voices can demonstrate that progress is being made, the organization says the challenges go beyond filling out applications and submitting forms.
"Enrolling eligible people is only the beginning of the process toward ensuring access to appropriate quality health care," the report says.
"Once people are enrolled in public [or private] health coverage, ongoing challenges include helping enrollees navigate and appropriately use the complex health care system; encouraging healthy lifestyles, prevention, and early intervention; reducing nonfinancial obstacles to care related to language and culture, lack of transportation, and lack of childcare; keeping people enrolled in coverage; and ensuring adequate provider capacity to serve enrolled populations," the report continues.
"And of course, a broader societal challenge involves expanding access to coverage and services to people who are not currently eligible for public programs and who cannot afford private insurance."
[Download the report from http://www.communityvoices.org. Contact Ms. Tolliver at (304) 558-0530 and Ms. Harris at (212) 304-7032.]
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.