Medicaid Expansion for La Comunidad Latina in North Carolina: Community Health Workers’ Role in Outreach

Authors: Natalie Sanchez Farez, Kristin Podsiad, Paulina A Ruiz, Lauren Hart, Pedro Gomez Altamirano, Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, Gabriela Plasencia

This study looked at how Latino communities in North Carolina experienced enrolling in Medicaid after expansion. Many people either did not enroll or tried but were unsuccessful, often due to limited understanding of how health insurance works. Language barriers and being foreign-born also made enrollment more difficult. Community health workers, who often speak the same language and understand the community, played an important role in providing information and support. The study suggests that strengthening training and outreach by community health workers can help more people successfully enroll in health insurance.