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As many states take steps to ensure increased access to health care services, the need for community outreach becomes a more critical component in educating the public on what services are available to them. Many people encounter barriers such as cultural and language differences, lack of transportation, inconvenient location, inadequate understanding by health care recipients, and unfamiliarity of providers with community needs when attempting to access services. However, implementing an effective outreach program allows community and medical providers to work together to provide services and help alleviate the hurdles created by these barriers. States like Maryland and Washington have taken significant steps to increase health care accessibility.
The Health Outreach Act, a model bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly in late 1998, is beginning to have a big impact on the state in 2000. The legislation addresses the barriers existing between Maryland’s underserved population and medical providers contracted to provide services to them. The bill was originally sponsored by Delegate Salima Marriott (Flemming Fellow ’95). This landmark legislation was a result of a call to action to assist the significant numbers of Marylanders who are eligible for Medicaid and other state administered health assistance programs but are unable to access health care services.
The Harrison Institute for Public Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, in consultation with CPA and community-based organizations, helped draft the model legislation. Additionally, and to their credit, those same community-based organizations along with numerous community health workers from agencies throughout the city worked tirelessly to ensure passage of this legislation.
The legislation requires managed care organizations to develop and implement comprehensive outreach plans that will guarantee that their underserved and most difficult to reach clients receive health services. Additionally, in the event that managed care is unable to meet the needs of this population, the bill requires them to contract with community based outreach organizations to provide the access to services.
Washington state has also been at the forefront of health care outreach, and results show that their efforts are working. The state recently reported that 33,000 more children have been enrolled in the Medicaid program since April 1999. "The successes of that last year can be credited to new investments of public and private resources and strong state- community partnerships," says Jon Gould of the Children’s Alliance, Washington’s statewide child advocacy organization.
- The state has initiated the Healthy Kids Now! outreach program. Healthy Kids Now! is the new name for all children’s health programs, combining Medicaid, CHIP, and state-funded health assistance. Healthy Kids Now! features professionally designed materials including Public Service Announcements, streamlined and easy to use applications, and a toll-free application assistance hotline.
- Washington state is one of the first states in the country to correct the loss of Medicaid as a result of welfare reform. After negotiating with the Children’s Alliance, Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition, and Columbia Legal Services, the state stopped improper terminations from Medicaid in September of 1999. In May of 2000, the state reinstated health coverage for the 100,000 people whose Medicaid coverage was wrongly terminated. Washington State has moved aggressively to make needed changes and get families the medical coverage they deserve.
- The state is using $500 million to fund local outreach projects who assist families with applications, enrollment, and selection of a managed health care plans. Local agencies like health districts, schools, and non-profits all across the state provide families the help they need to get and keep health coverage.
Model legislation of Maryland’s Health Outreach Act and additional resources are available at CPA’s website.
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