1. Affordable Care Act: Are Newly Eligible Childless Adults Aware of TheirAffordable Care Act: Are Newly Eligible Childless Adults Aware of Their
Opportunities?Opportunities?
Alison Ellis & Nancy Mayo, Advisor: Dr. Gary DickAlison Ellis & Nancy Mayo, Advisor: Dr. Gary Dick
College of Allied Health Sciences, School of Social Work
INTRODUCTION
• Researchers have found that those most likely to be
uninsured are young adults, a pattern that has
persisted and even increased over the past decade
(Ammerman et. al., 2004).
• 4.3 million adults are currently eligible for Medicaid,
but are not enrolled (DiPietro & Klingenmaier, 2013).
RESEARCH METHODS
• Quantitative, Exploratory Study
• Type of Study: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study, & An
Action Research Component
•Instrument: Self-Design Questionnaire
RESULTS
IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK
• Homeless young adults are a high risk and vulnerable
population with health care needs.
• Obtaining health care coverage through the ACA can
improve the quality of life for young single adults.
SAMPLE
• Consumers of services in the Customer Connection
Center, Rapid Re-Housing and Permanent Supportive
Housing programs at the Freestore Foodbank in
Cincinnati, Ohio
• N=40
• 18-64 years old
• Male (n=16) and Female (n=24)
• 27.5% (n=11) Caucasian
• 72.5% (n=29) African American
• Not married
• No children / non-custodial parent
DISCUSSION
• Previous research discovered that uninsured young
adults lacked awareness of the Health Insurance
Marketplaces, "Only 27% of 19-to-29-year-olds were
aware of the marketplaces, with awareness lowest
among those uninsured for some time during the year
(19%)" (Collins et. al., 2013, p.5). The study found
results to be different than past research; 78.9% of
those that have heard of HIM are uninsured, and
77.5% of those that have heard of ME are uninsured.
• Those who are uninsured are found to be more aware
of health coverage options. The research also pointed
out that a large amount of those unaware of HIM were
young adults, a focus in this study. In this study, 25.8%
of individuals 18-26, 25.8% of individuals 27-34, and
48.4% of individuals 35-57 plan to enroll in Medicaid.
Based off of the results of the research, those that are
least likely to enroll are young and middle aged adults.
• Research conducted in 2013 discovered that those
least aware of exchange programs were those that are
uninsured. This study has discovered opposing
results, 78.9% of those uninsured have heard of
exchange programs.
• Further research needs to be done to discover why
awareness of exchange programs for those that are
uninsured has drastically changed from 2013 to 2014.
REFERENCES
• Ammerman, SD., Ensign, J., Kirzner, R., Meininger, ET., Tornabene, M., Warf, CW.,
et.al,. 2004. Homeless Young Adults Ages 18–24 Examining Service Delivery Adaptations.
Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/younghomelessadult1.pdf.
• Bharel, M., Lin, WC., O’Connell, E., Taube, R., & Clark, RE. 2013. Health Care Utilization Patterns
of Homeless Individuals in Boston: Preparing for Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care
Act. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24148046
• Collins, S.R., Rasmussen, P.W., Garber, T., & Doty, M.M. (2013). Covering Young Adults Under the
Affordable Care Act: The Importance of Outreach and Medicaid Expansion. Retrieved
from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue
%20Brief/2013/Aug/1701_Collins_covering_young_adults_tracking_brief_final_v4.pdf
• DiPietro B., & Klingenmaier, L. (2013). Achieving Public Health Goals Through Medicaid
Expansion: Opportunities in criminal justice, homelessness, and Behavioral Health with the patient
protection and Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from http://www.nhchc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/10/dipietro-ajph-commentary-oct-2013.pdf
• Tsai, J., Robert, A., Rosenheck, D.P., Culhane, DP., & Artiga, S. (2013). Medicaid Expansion:
Chronically Homeless Adults Will Need Targeted Enrollment and Access to a Broad Range of
Services. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24019359
• Zigmund, J. (2013). Death By a Thousand Cuts' Hospital Execs say Medicaid Expansion
Needed. Retrieved from https://www.ethicshare.org/node/826300
•To explore the extent of knowledge newly eligible
childless adults have about the Medicaid Expansion
enacted January 1st, 2014.
AIM OF THE STUDY
1. Do the newly eligible childless adults know about the
Affordable Care Act’s 2014 Medicaid Expansion?
2. What percentages of the uninsured have knowledge
of the health care coverage options of the Affordable
Care Act?
3. Do young adults under the age of 27 have a plan to
enroll in health care coverage available through the
Affordable Care Act?
4. Does age play a factor in plans to enroll?
• 65% of the subjects are aware of ACA’s Medicaid
Expansion
• 78.9% of subjects uninsured have heard of Health
Insurance Marketplace (HIM)
• 77.5% of subjects uninsured have heard of Medicaid
Expansion (ME)
• 25.8% of 18-26 year olds plan to enroll in Medicaid
• 25.8% of 27-34 year olds plan to enroll in Medicaid
• 48.4% of 35-57 year olds plan to enroll in Medicaid
• 22.6% of the 18-26 year olds were uninsured
• 35% of 18-26 year olds had some knowledge of
Medicaid and 26.3% had some knowledge of Health
Insurance Marketplace (exchange programs)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS