Authors: Taylor L. Frazier, Priscilla M. Lopez, Nadia Islam, Amber Wilson, Katherine Earle, Nerisusan Duliepre, Lynna Zhong,Stefanie Bendik,Elizabeth Drackett, Noel Manyindo, Lois Seidl, and Lorna E. Thorpe
The purpose of this study was to characterize the array of financial and logistical complications faced by insured individuals with low household incomes within New York City. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, including focus group discussions and the analysis of programmatic administrative records. Participants included individuals who enrolled in a municipal CHW program designed to close equity gaps in health and social outcomes. Dedicated health advocates (HAs) were explicitly paired with CHWs to provide health insurance and health care navigational assistance. Results uncovered the following factors as significant barriers to chronic disease management and quality of life: affordability issues; outstanding bills; difficulty covering premiums, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket expenses; navigating health coverage policies; and lack of coordination/consistency among providers, insurers, and pharmacies. HAs were able to resolve 49 of the 72 affordability barriers using various strategies. HAs that were well-versed in operational and legal intricacies of the healthcare and insurance systems were also able to solve outstanding bill issues. These findings suggest the paired CHW-HA model may be effective in addressing financial barriers for insured populations with low household incomes and in reducing health disparities in other communities.
Link: Addressing Financial Barriers to Health Care Among People Who are Low-Income and Insured in New York City, 2014–2017
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Resource Topic: CHW, Financial barriers
Resource Type: Research
Year: 2023
Region: North America (U.S. and Canada)
Country: United States of America
Publisher May Restrict Access: No