Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (17)
Similar to Health Insurance Information Needs: How Librarians Can Help
Similar to Health Insurance Information Needs: How Librarians Can Help (20)
More from evardell
More from evardell (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Health Insurance Information Needs: How Librarians Can Help
- 1. Health Insurance Information Needs: How Librarians Can Help EMILY VARDELL, PHD SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY #KLAMPLA2018 @evardell
- 2. Where it started for me Source
- 3. Outline for Today’s Presentation •defining health insurance literacy •partnerships between librarians, ACA practitioners, and community members •resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance •achieving successful health insurance outreach
- 4. Literacy concerns Health Insurance Literacy: •“a new concept that addresses the extent to which consumers can make informed purchase and use decisions” •“knowledge, ability, and confidence to effectively choose and use health insurance” Kim, J., Braun, B., & Williams, A. D. (2013). Understanding Health Insurance Literacy: A Literature Review. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 42(1), 3-13.
- 5. Literacy concerns Health Insurance Literacy: how to find a physician fill a prescription use and pay for medications use a Health Savings Account (HSA) use preventive services (mammograms, annual physical)
- 6. Calls to Action At the 2013 American Library Association Conference, Obama requested assistance from librarians in ACA implementation. The Institute for Museum and Library Services: ◦ “ethical mandate rather than a government regulation” to assist with providing a “face to government rules and resources” (p. 7)
- 8. Promoting Healthy Communities: Libraries Connecting You to Coverage (PLA) http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/connectingyoutocoverage 1. Host a program during Open Enrollment 2. Offer dedicated staff assistance 3. Host a staff training session about Open Enrollment frequently asked questions 4. Place an ad(s) in social, news, and/or print media 5. Embed the “Get Covered Connector” widget on your library’s website 6. Link to HealthCare.gov on your library’s website 7. Create a ready-reference guide to local designated assistance organizations and Navigators 8. Distribute flyers or other print materials
- 9. Promoting Healthy Communities: Libraries Connecting You to Coverage (PLA) 1. Host a program during Open Enrollment 2. Offer dedicated staff assistance 3. Host a staff training session about Open Enrollment frequently asked questions 4. Place an ad(s) in social, news, and/or print media 5. Embed the “Get Covered Connector” widget on your library’s website 6. Link to HealthCare.gov on your library’s website 7. Create a ready-reference guide to local designated assistance organizations and Navigators 8. Distribute flyers or other print materials
- 10. Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment (in millions) https://www.kff.org/state-category/health-coverage-uninsured/ 8.1 11.7 12.7 12.2 11.8 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
- 11. Kansas Health Insurance Enrollment Trends https://www.kff.org/state-category/health-coverage-uninsured/ Employer 54% Non-Group 9% Medicaid 15% Medicare 13% Uninsured 9%
- 12. Employer-Sponsored Coverage by State
- 14. Outline for Today’s Presentation •defining health insurance literacy •partnerships between librarians, ACA practitioners, and community members •resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance •achieving successful health insurance outreach
- 15. Roles identified in semi-structured interviews Could you tell me a little bit about your experiences meeting Affordable Care Act and/or health insurance information needs? Critical Incident Technique: • Can you please describe one of the ACA/health insurance reference questions you responded to? • Probing questions focused on the patron, the medium (e.g., face-to-face, email, phone, etc.), recommended resources, and how the recommendations were conveyed.
- 16. Librarian Roles Strategies Information Provider • host health awareness programs or information sessions about the ACA • provide easy-to-read materials such as glossaries and handbooks • help decipher frequently used health insurance terms or direct individuals to information about various health insurance plans Information Mediator • ACA Navigator may request librarian help with locating training or to hard-to-find information • assist with the coordination of enrollment events by acting as a community builder Instruction Librarian • develop materials for individuals with limited literacy skills • evaluate the suitability of existing materials Information Manager • help individuals with personal health insurance information management Literacy Advocate • assist individuals in locating easy-to-read and easy-to-understand health insurance information in a variety of formats Librarian Researcher • conduct research in the area of health insurance literacy Vardell, E., & Charbonneau, D. H. (2017). Health insurance literacy and roles for reference librarian involvement. The Reference Librarian, 58(2), 124-135.
- 17. Information Provider Toolbox •Know Your Health Insurance •My Health, My Voice •From Coverage to Care •AHRQ •MedlinePlus #KLAMPLA2018 @evardell
- 18. Know Your Health Insurance (MerckEngage®) https://www.merckengage.com/knowyourhealthinsurance
- 20. Know Your Health Insurance (MerckEngage®) https://www.merckengage.com/knowyourhealthinsurance
- 21. My Health, My Voice http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/get-a-copy
- 22. My Health, My Voice All available in English and Spanish: A Woman’s Step-by-Step Guide to Using Health Insurance 5 Steps to Using Your Health Insurance Wisely The 4 Kinds of Costs You May Pay What is a Well-Woman Visit? My Health, My Voice: My Personal Health Journal http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/get-a-copy
- 23. My Health, My Voice http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/get-a-copy
- 24. Here are 5 important steps to using your health insurance wisely: 1. Learn how to use your insurance card 2. Choose a Primary Care Provider who takes your insurance 3. Make an appointment to see your new Primary Care Provider right away 4. Be prepared for your first visit to your new Primary Care Provider 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action
- 25. Here are 5 important steps to using your health insurance wisely: 1. Learn how to use your insurance card 2. Choose a Primary Care Provider who takes your insurance 3. Make an appointment to see your new Primary Care Provider right away 4. Be prepared for your first visit to your new Primary Care Provider 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action
- 26. 1. Learn how to use your insurance card From Coverage to Care (CMS) • English (PDF, 7.2MB) • Arabic / ية عرب ال( PDF, 64KB) • Chinese / 中文 (PDF, 145KB) • Haitian Creole/Kreyòl Ayisyen (PDF, 58KB) • Korean / 한국어 (PDF, 97KB) • Russian / Русский (PDF, 63KB) • Spanish / Español (PDF, 160KB) • Vietnamese/TIẾNG VIỆT (PDF, 61KB) https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/from-coverage-to-care.html
- 27. From Coverage to Care (CMS) https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/from-coverage-to-care.html
- 28. You can print/order copies https://marketplace.cms.gov/outrea ch-and-education/order-coverage- to-care-materials.html http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/ get-a-copy/
- 29. Here are 5 important steps to using your health insurance wisely: 1. Learn how to use your insurance card 2. Choose a Primary Care Provider who takes your insurance 3. Make an appointment to see your new Primary Care Provider right away 4. Be prepared for your first visit to your new Primary Care Provider 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action
- 30. 2&3. Choosing and making an appointment with a PCP https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaV7m2-zFKph5fHVZgUphIcBKbtS24tKW
- 31. 2&3. Choosing and making an appointment with a PCP http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/
- 32. Here are 5 important steps to using your health insurance wisely: 1. Learn how to use your insurance card 2. Choose a Primary Care Provider who takes your insurance 3. Make an appointment to see your new Primary Care Provider right away 4. Be prepared for your first visit to your new Primary Care Provider 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action Be prepared to share family medical history. Write down questions. What is the test for? When will I get the results? Why do I need this treatment? Are there any alternatives? Are there any side effects? http://www.ahrq.gov/patients- consumers/patient- involvement/ask-your- doctor/index.html
- 33. Preparing a family history http://www.myhealthmyvoice.com/get-a-copy
- 34. Questions to ask your doctor (AHRQ) •The 10 questions you should know •Questions to ask before your appointment •Questions to ask during your appointment •Questions to ask after your appointment •Build your own list of questions http://www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/patient-involvement/ask-your-doctor/index.html
- 35. Here are 5 important steps to using your health insurance wisely: 1. Learn how to use your insurance card 2. Choose a Primary Care Provider who takes your insurance 3. Make an appointment to see your new Primary Care Provider right away 4. Be prepared for your first visit to your new Primary Care Provider 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action
- 36. 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/from-coverage-to-care.html
- 37. 5. Visit your Primary Care Provider and take follow up action https://medlineplus.gov/
- 38. Outline for Today’s Presentation •defining health insurance literacy •partnerships between librarians, ACA practitioners, and community members •resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance •achieving successful health insurance outreach
- 39. Librarian Roles Strategies Information Provider • host health awareness programs or information sessions about the ACA • provide easy-to-read materials such as glossaries and handbooks • help decipher frequently used health insurance terms or direct individuals to information about various health insurance plans Information Mediator • ACA Navigator may request librarian help with locating training or to hard-to-find information • assist with the coordination of enrollment events by acting as a community builder Instruction Librarian • develop materials for individuals with limited literacy skills • evaluate the suitability of existing materials Information Manager • help individuals with personal health insurance information management Literacy Advocate • assist individuals in locating easy-to-read and easy-to-understand health insurance information in a variety of formats Librarian Researcher • conduct research in the area of health insurance literacy Vardell, E., & Charbonneau, D. H. (2017). Health insurance literacy and roles for reference librarian involvement. The Reference Librarian, 58(2), 124-135.
- 40. Kay Hogan Smith: Information Mediator Builds partnerships with public librarians and community orgs Assists ACA Navigators and other librarians with locating training or to hard-to-find information Assists with the coordination of enrollment events by acting as a community builder Community Services Librarian and Director of Health InfoNet of Alabama
- 41. Potential Community Partners Malachowski, M. (2015). Roles for Librarians In E. Vardell (Ed.), The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act (pp. 23-35) Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- 42. Promoting Healthy Communities: Libraries Connecting You to Coverage (PLA) 1. Host a program during Open Enrollment 2. Offer dedicated staff assistance 3. Host a staff training session about Open Enrollment frequently asked questions 4. Place an ad(s) in social, news, and/or print media 5. Embed the “Get Covered Connector” widget on your library’s website 6. Link to HealthCare.gov on your library’s website 7. Create a ready-reference guide to local designated assistance organizations and Navigators 8. Distribute flyers or other print materials
- 43. Mary Ellen Nolan: Programming Host Proactively builds connections with relevant organizations Provides a space for both individual help and group programming Invites authoritative speakers to present Consumer Health Librarian
- 44. Michele Malloy: Librarian Researcher Provides one-on-one assistance to patrons Encourages the use of a multitude of resources, including grey literature, to research insurance-related topics Uses clinician contacts for help with terminology and clarifying questions when neededResearch Services Coordinator
- 47. Michelle Kraft: Librarian Advocate Senior Medical Librarian Teaches continuing education classes on ACA for hospital librarians Advocates for demonstrating the impact of libraries on hospitals budgets, admission rates, and other ACA-related measures
- 48. Possible roles abound! Information mediator Embedded clinical support Librarian advocate Programming host Presentation support Research support And more! Source Vardell, E. (Ed.) (2015). The Medical Library Association guide to answering questions about the Affordable Care Act. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- 49. Libraries and the Affordable Care Act •Health Insurance and Insurance Exchange Structures •Ethics and Legal Matters Related to Health- Care Information Services •Programming to Promote a Health Community Relevant Roles: Information Mediator Programming Host Librarian Advocate
- 50. The MLA Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act •Role of the Librarian •The Health Insurance Reference Question: A Step-by-Step Approach •Recommended Affordable Care Act Information Resources for Consumers/Practitioners Relevant Roles: Information Mediator Research Support Presentation Support
Editor's Notes
- Beta Phi Mu anchor Librarians as the anchors for trusted health information
- My after-school and summer job in high school and college was working as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Surprisingly most of the questions we received were not about the medications themselves, such as what are the side effects of this drug, but rather why do I have to pay so much for this? Why doesn’t my insurance company cover this? Why doesn’t my insurance pay more of the cost? I started to see how difficult it was to understand the ins and outs of health insurance coverage and how this was an issue that affected a wide variety of people. Then years later when I was the Director for Reference and Education at the University of Miami medical library, I attended a talk by Donna Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was presenting on the Affordable Care Act and mentioned, almost in passing, how most individuals really didn’t understand the ACA or what it meant to them directly. These experiences led to my interest in learning more about how people understand health insurance and health policy.
- Today our discussions will focus on the ACA timeline and resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance, particularly now that more people are covered. How can we help equip them with the skills needed to navigate the health care system for the first time? I will also provide examples of successful partnerships for achieving ACA outreach. Lastly, I will discuss how to locate ACA data sets to support patrons’ professional research or even your own. In this webinar I am going to focus on where we’re headed and what we as medical librarians can do to assist. But first, I will quickly recap to get us all up to speed.
- When we think about individuals’ ability to interact effectively with the health insurance system, we talk about health insurance literacy. Draw your attention to the latter part of the definition which focuses on the USE of health insurance. NEXT SLIDE
- When we think about individuals’ ability to interact effectively with the health insurance system, we talk about health insurance literacy. Draw your attention to the latter part of the definition which focuses on the USE of health insurance. NEXT SLIDE
- We have millions of people with health insurance, potentially for the first time. They are likely to need assistance with the USE of their health insurance.
- We have millions of people with health insurance, potentially for the first time. They are likely to need assistance with the USE of their health insurance.
- I think we can all agree that the health system in the United States needs some work. And statistics show we spend more on health care than other comparable countries. This quote from the Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes the key role that librarians can play in this arena. “The success of health system reform will depend in large part on the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to make informed decisions about their health.” The key word INFORMED makes a direct connection with the skills that librarians are equipped with to help individuals, families, and communities, as the quote states.
- Today our discussions will focus on the ACA timeline and resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance, particularly now that more people are covered. How can we help equip them with the skills needed to navigate the health care system for the first time? I will also provide examples of successful partnerships for achieving ACA outreach. Lastly, I will discuss how to locate ACA data sets to support patrons’ professional research or even your own. In this webinar I am going to focus on where we’re headed and what we as medical librarians can do to assist. But first, I will quickly recap to get us all up to speed.
- Interviews were conducted in early 2015. From these interviews, librarian roles emerged. These activities demonstrate the types of current librarian involvement and may provide seeds of inspiration for you to take on additional activities in your library.
- One of the helpful resources for learning about how to use health insurance is Know Your Health Insurance from Merck Engage. Know Your Health Insurance is an interactive guide to health insurance. The FAQ covers many questions. It is created by the pharmaceutical company Merck, but I have not noticed any bias in the information provided on the site. ARROW This section clearly outlines what types of services are covered. NEXT SLIDE
- My Health, My Voice is an excellent example of a resource developed specifically to help people use their health insurance. As their home page states, My Health, My Voice came out because of a need. Newly-insured women are having trouble using their health coverage. My Health, My Voice is a fairly recently released resource from November 2015. A Project of: Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need with Parsons The New School for Design and the Ms. Foundation for Women RAISING WOMEN’S VOICES for the HealthCare We Need is a national initiative working to make sure women’s voices are heard and our concerns are addressed as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is implemented. Founded in 2007, Raising Women’s Voices (RWV) is a collaboration of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the MergerWatch Project of Community Catalyst and the National Women’s Health Network.
- While it was developed specifically with women in mind, it works with a diverse audience and is available in Spanish and English, with several print-ready resources. You can see a full list of them in the right-hand column here. The Step-by-Step guide includes a lengthy section with clear, easy-to-read information on understanding costs when using health insurance. For example, it provides descriptions of premiums, deductibles, copay, and coinsurance.
- Why is it important to talk with people about USING their health insurance? As this graphic from My Health, My Voice explains, it is important to encourage individuals to use their health insurance to cover preventive health services to stay healthy. People who did not have health insurance previously may have relied on the emergency room to treat health concerns in the past and may not be as familiar with using a primary care provider to address chronic diseases and preventive care.
- I also like these 5 clear steps they provide on how to use health insurance. These clear step-by-step instructions may be very helpful for individuals who are not as familiar with the health insurance process or the health care system in general. I’m going to walk through these 5 steps to show you the kinds of consumer health resources available to assist with this process.
- First we’ll start with learning how to use your health insurance card.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also offer a helpful guide called “From Coverage to Care,” which offers similar information to the previous examples I have shared. They also offer a sheet on how to decode your insurance card and this handout (which is shown in a small version on the left-hand side) is also available in several languages from CMS. This unique aspect makes this a very valuable resource for those working with populations for whom English is not a native language.
- In addition to the learn how to use your health insurance guide, From Coverage to Care uses a “roadmap” analogy to help individuals learn to use their health insurance and interact with the health care system. I’ll be highlighting a few more of these sections as we continue our discussions.
- You can order print copies of From Coverage to Care at no cost to you and can print out copies of My Health, My Voice in both color and black and white. COST
- Now that I’ve shown you resources that can be used to help patrons learn how to use their insurance card, let’s look at the next 2 steps in learning to use health insurance wisely.
- For example, this video is recommending that individuals who are looking for a primary care provider should look for names of providers covered under their health insurance by looking online at the insurance company’s website, calling the insurance company, or looking at the handbook provided by the insurance company. They also recommend asking friends or looking online to see other people’s opinions about the primary care providers. Again this is an area where we wouldn’t offer advice on which doctor to go to but could point to resources with available information
- One of the things that might be very overwhelming for someone who hasn’t interacted with the healthcare system is making that phone call to the insurance company to find out what their available options are. My Health, My Voice addresses this concern by offering sample scripts that show individuals what kinds of questions they might expect when calling member services. This approach may address hesitation to make that phone call, one of the many barriers individuals might face when using their health insurance coverage for the first time.
- The final item on our 5 important steps to using health insurance checklist is to visit the primary care provider and take follow-up action.
- From Coverage to Care offers some very helpful information for this step. In particular, I like how they emphasize the importance of feeling comfortable with the care provider and make it clear that the patient has the option to choose another provider if they are not comfortable with the first person they went to. Step 7 in the roadmap asks the patient to decide if the provider is right for you. Step 8 outlines the steps an individual should take for follow-up action. One of those is to fill any prescription you were given and take them as directed.
- People may be using medications for the first time, and it would be wise to point them to authoritative resources for drug information.
- Today our discussions will focus on the ACA timeline and resources to support consumers’ use of health insurance, particularly now that more people are covered. How can we help equip them with the skills needed to navigate the health care system for the first time? I will also provide examples of successful partnerships for achieving ACA outreach. Lastly, I will discuss how to locate ACA data sets to support patrons’ professional research or even your own. In this webinar I am going to focus on where we’re headed and what we as medical librarians can do to assist. But first, I will quickly recap to get us all up to speed.
- Builds partnerships with public librarians and community organizations to support dissemination and use of quality health information Assists public librarians seeking authoritative resources to address ACA information needs Emails notices to public librarians about training opportunities Locates information on coverage tiers for patients and refers to community clinics that provide free care Assists faith-based organizations with setting up enrollment events with trained Navigators
- I invite you to add the names or types of groups that you’ve partnered with in the chat box.
- Recall and describe a successful reference interaction vs an unsuccessful reference interaction – the factors that made the interaction successful or unsuccessful
- Recall and describe a successful reference interaction vs an unsuccessful reference interaction – the factors that made the interaction successful or unsuccessful
- The Kaiser Family Foundation (kff.org) is an excellent source for health data, in particular data focused on health insurance. You can select your state to link directly to state-level stats or you can select one of the predefined categories.
- Additional data sources can be located at the bottom of the Healthcare.gov homepage. If you scroll all the way down, at the very bottom there is a Resources section. Click on the link labeled “For Researchers.”
- I have highlighted some of the most salient chapters here. This book is particularly relevant to those who fill the following roles: Information Mediator, Programming Host, and Librarian Advocate.
- I, of course, first disclose that I am the editor of this book. Second, I have also highlighted some of the most salient chapters of this book here. This book is particularly relevant to those who fill the following roles: Information Mediator, Research Support, and Presentation Support.
- My goal is that individuals are empowered with access to quality health insurance information and have the skills to understand the information and make a health insurance choice that matches their health needs. This would save people money and, hopefully, increase their health statuses, reducing health disparities. I’d like to hear what your goals are as well. Please feel free to add them to the chat box. In conclusion, Providing health insurance information is not a solitary game.
- Providing health insurance information is not a solitary game. I have provided some resources to help guide you as well as examples of individuals who are partnering with other groups to provide quality health insurance information. I hope now that you have attended this webinar, you won’t feel alone in answering Affordable Care Act questions!