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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
July 18, 2013 Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
Community service providers cite a complex process and lack of information and resources as obstacles to prepare Latinos to enroll in January 2014
NEW ORLEANS—Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) announced the results of a survey of 135 community-based organizations and community health centers in 23 states that was developed to understand their practices and strategies for informing and helping Latino families enroll in public or subsidized health insurance under the ACA (Affordable Care Act). In response to the survey, senior executives at these organizations reported that obstacles to successful implementation include a lack of knowledge about coverage options and eligibility, unfamiliarity with the complex enrollment process and the need for technical assistance and resources for community service providers to reach Hispanics with information and support.
The survey—conducted in partnership with JSI (JSI Research &Training Institute, Inc.), a nonprofit public health management consulting and research organization—is the first to examine what community-based organizations and community health centers are currently doing, and plan to do in the future, to reach Latinos as part of a national effort to help millions of uninsured Americans gain health coverage.
Hispanics in the United States are disproportionately uninsured, with about 15.6 million lacking health coverage. According to Rodolfo Vega of JSI, “the challenge is not only how to help Latino families enroll in health coverage, but how to stay enrolled during renewals and how to navigate the complex health care system.” Jim Maxwell, his collaborator at JSI, elaborated, “many insured Latinos have never had coverage before the ACA so this whole process will be very unfamiliar to them.”
Survey results showed that the top three most prevalent methods of enrollment assistance currently being provided by Latino-serving CHCs (community health centers) and other CBOs (community-based organizations) are 1) notifying existing patients of their potential eligibility, 2) aiding eligible patients in filling out the paperwork and 3) assisting patients in completing enrollment forms in Spanish. CHCs and CBOs play a critical role in reaching the most vulnerable and underserved among the Latino community. These organizations are well-suited to reach Hispanics in ways that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and are trusted sources of information and services for enrollment, navigating care and reenrollment.
Despite their outreach efforts to Latinos, the survey found that CBOs and CHCs face many barriers to effectively reaching Latinos and enrolling them in health care coverage. Approximately 92% of CHCs and 84% of CBOs noted that their patients’ lack of awareness of eligibility was the primary barrier to successfully enrolling them in health care coverage. The second barrier reported by 83% of CHCs and 78% of CBOs was that patients were not knowledgeable about the enrollment process. Only 13% of CBOs and 25% of CHCs reported patients being extremely familiar with the application process. Other barriers include a lack of information from the state about plans, rules and regulations; a shortage of bicultural, bilingual enrollment staff trained in the enrollment process; and—especially true for CBOs—insufficient funding for outreach and enrollment efforts.
NCLR’s health experts concluded that current and future outreach and enrollment efforts are unlikely to meet the needs of Hispanics unless there is additional capacity-building work, funding for CBOs and more culturally appropriate information.
“Latinos are one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in the United States, so their participation in the health exchanges and Medicaid expansion made possible by the Affordable Care Act is critical to national efforts to expand coverage to millions of Americans who are currently uninsured,” said Delia Pompa, Senior Vice President, Programs. “It is important to all of us that community organizations and health centers have the information and resources they need because they have an essential role in informing Hispanics about the options available and helping them enroll in health insurance plans.”
The survey was conducted online with participation from health organizations in 23 states that belong to NCLR’s Affiliate Network of Hispanic-serving CBOs nationwide and CHCs in states with large Latino populations, including Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Researchers examined how NCLR Affiliates provide assistance to patients in accessing and utilizing the health care system, the challenges their clients face in enrolling in coverage, the challenges the organizations face in providing these services and additional resources they need, as well as outreach and enrollment experience among survey participants. Of the organizations surveyed, 96 are located in states that will expand Medicaid and 34 are located in states that will not expand Medicaid.
The results were unveiled at the national Health Summit, hosted by NCLR's IHH (Institute for Hispanic Health) with contributions from Eli Lilly, on July 18–19, 2013, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The IHH Health Summit precedes the 2013 NCLR Annual Conference, which runs July 20–23 and is being held in New Orleans for the first time.
NCLR’s IHH Health Summit attracts nearly 200 participants; this year’s focus is educating participants on the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act and how immigration reform may play a role. IHH partners with NCLR Affiliates, government partners, private funders and other organizations to deliver quality health interventions that improve Latinos’ access to and use of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate health and disease prevention programs.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Follow the conversation about the 2013 NCLR Annual Conference on Twitter using #LatinoHealth #NCLR13.
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