Submitted by achenault on Wed, 04/06/2016 – 2:11pm
According to the latest report from CMS on enrollment, during the last open enrollment period from November 1, 2015 – February 1, 2016, 243,715 Ohioans selected plans in the Marketplace. 84% of those received premium tax credits to help pay for their premiums.

Getting health coverage is only the first step. Learning how to use your coverage and connecting with a doctor is the second step, which goes largely unaddressed. That’s why UHCAN Ohio has shifted our focus to health insurance literacy through our outreach and enrollment project.

Our Approach:

We have compiled easy-to-understand handouts that help people understand how to use their insurance. We are using these materials along with a simple PowerPoint to host education groups for the newly insured at local churches and community organizations.

What We’ve Learned:

We’ve learned that about half of those that attend have not yet connected to a primary care doctor. We’ve also learned many do not know what services are covered as preventive services or understand their out of pocket costs. Most importantly, we’ve learned how valuable it was to provide an opportunity for people to ask questions. A forum for questions and answers allowed newly insured to take the next steps in getting the care they need.

Results:

By the end of the health insurance literacy groups, participants demonstrated increased knowledge in the following areas: 1) how to connect to primary care, 2) out-of-pocket cost, and 3) what services are considered preventive care.

Next Steps:

What do you think are the most confusing things about insurance? Email us at info@uhcanohio.org.