CHAMPS has compiled these resources to support Region VIII State Primary Care Associations (SPCAs) and Health Centers in helping ensure that people who obtain health insurance know how to understand, utilize, and make the most of their health insurance.
Please click or scroll down for:
Health Literacy and Preventive Care
Private Health Insurance Resources
Medicaid/CHIP Resources
CHAMPS has created a short guide that includes information on how to use health insurance, common health insurance terms, and information on deciding where to go in case of injury or illness – feel free to customize this packet to your needs and share with clients. Health Insurance Literacy Packet
Northwest Regional Primary Care Association (NWRPCA) has created state-specific brochures with health insurance plan contact information, common health insurance terms, and how to make the most of health insurance.
Colorado
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Utah
Wyoming
Click HERE for CHAMPS’ list of CHC Terms and Acronyms, many of which are health insurance-related.
Click HERE to access the CHAMPS Patient Education Tools webpage.
HEALTH LITERACY AND PREVENTIVE CARE
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Archive of brochures that inform consumers about preventative consumers
Men: Stay Healthy
Women: Stay Healthy
Alliance for Health Reform
Toolkit addressing the extent and significance of health insurance literacy for Marketplace customers
Health Literacy and Health Insurance Literacy: Do Consumers Know What They Are Buying?
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Document that shows where a patient should go for various health issues
Deciding Where to Go
Colorado.gov/Health
Website with preventative care resources and health care providers licensing information
Health and Wellness Resources
Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. (CHCS)
Document that contains six fact sheets on health literacy
Health Literacy Fact Sheets
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
This resource explains what health coverage is and how to use it to get the primary care and preventive services consumers need
A Roadmap to Better Care and a Healthier You
Community Catalyst
Various resources on health insurance literacy including resources for consumers. These resources are offered in various languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
Outreach Hub – Health Insurance Literacy Resources
Overview of research on health messaging and summary of best practices
Talking about Health Insurance: An Overview of Messaging Research on Consumers and Enrolling in Health Insurance Coverage
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Toolkits for Social Services, Community Volunteers, Legal Aid, and Workers to discuss basic financial literacy and financial planning with clients.
Your Money, Your Goals
Consumer Reports
Card on approaching your doctor if you think he/she may be prescribing unnecessary tests or medication
When to Say ‘Whoa’ to Your Doctor
Enroll America
Document that shares best practices for writing and designing health-related materials that are easy to read
An Introduction to Health Literacy and Enrollment
Families USA
A guide explaining many of the health insurance terms that consumers need to understand when they are shopping for insurance
Health Insurance Basics: Key Words and Phrases You Need to Know
Issue brief describing the components of health insurance provider networks to make them more accessible to communities of color
Network Adequacy and Health Equity: Improving Private Health Insurance Provider Networks for Communities of Color
Healthcare.gov
Webpage with information on using health insurance, including making sure consumers are covered, getting prescription medications, and getting preventative and emergency care
Using Your New Insurance Coverage
Information on preventive services offered through most health plans
What are My Preventive Care Benefits?
Webpage that lists the essential health benefits all plans must cover
What Does Marketplace Health Insurance Cover?
Information on finding and comparing providers and hospitals in a network
Where Can I Find Provider Information?
Institute for Healthcare Advancement
Website with information about the annual health literacy conference
IHA Conference
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Website with resources on healthy living
Healthy Living
National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM)
Website with information on health literacy
Health Literacy
Utah Department of Health
Website with resources on preventative care
Bureau of Health Promotion
Own Your Health
Campaign to empower consumers to become active participants in their own health and health care
Own Your Health
The Commonwealth Fund
Health Literacy Practices in Primary Care Settings: Examples From the Field
The New England Journal of Medicine
Research on how health insurance coverage affects health care utilization, disease treatment and outcomes, self-reported health, and mortality
Health Insurance Coverage and Health – What the Recent Evidence Tells Us
The Wall Street Journal
Article outlining major issues in insurance literacy, compiling statistics from several different studies
A Perilous Gap in Health Insurance Literacy
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE RESOURCES
Action for Health Justice
Glossary of health insurance enrollment terms translated into a variety of different languages used in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities
Health Insurance Enrollment Glossary
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Issue brief that describes problems consumers face in selecting and using health insurance
Developing a Measure of Health Insurance Literacy: Understanding Consumer’s Ability to Choose and Use Insurance
American Medical Association (AMA)
Flyer that helps consumers understand health insurance policies and the payment process
Understanding Your Health Insurance Policy and Payment Practices
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Document that shows where a patient should go for various health issues
Deciding Where to Go
Guidelines on how to utilize benefits and make the most of health insurance
Understanding Health Insurance Coverage to Maximize Your Care
The Brookings Institution
A brief video explaining the history of private health insurance, in partnership with Khan Academy
The History of Private Health Insurance
Connect for Health Colorado
Information on options for continuing insurance coverage after job loss, including COBRA, Colorado Continuation Coverage, and the Marketplace
Continuation of Health Coverage: Know Your Options
Consumers Union
Report that summarizes the challenges that consumers have with understanding health insurance and discusses the need for a measurement of literacy
Measuring Health Insurance Literacy: A Call to Action
Enroll America
A report from Enroll America detailing the connection between health insurance literacy and coverage retention (May 2015)
A Framework on Health Insurance Literacy for the Outreach and Enrollment Community
Guide that breaks down everything that consumers need to know about health insurance in clear, easy-to-understand language
Get Covered Guide
Get Covered Guide in Spanish
Guía Para Utilizar Tu Seguro Médico
Guide on how to help consumers keep their health insurance
Helping Consumers Keep Affordable Health Coverage
Families USA
Consumer-friendly information on insurance terminology
Health Insurance Basics: Key Words and Phrases You Need to Know Spanish Version
Healthcare.gov
Blog post on transitioning from Marketplace insurance onto Medicare for consumers turning 65
Turning 65 soon? How to transition from the Marketplace to Medicare coverage
Guide on why and how to report life changes to the marketplace
How do I Report Life Changes to the Marketplace?
Website with instructions on how to use new marketplace coverage
How to Use Your New Marketplace Coverage
Webpage with information on using health insurance, including making sure consumers are covered, getting prescription medications, and getting preventative and emergency care
Using Your New Insurance Coverage
Information on how different health insurance plans are structured
What Are the Different Types of Health Insurance?
Webpage that lists the essential health benefits all plans must cover
What Does Marketplace Health Insurance Cover?
Information on how to change health insurance plans
What if I Want to Change Plans after I Enroll?
Information on finding and comparing providers and hospitals in a network
Where Can I Find Provider Information?
U.S. Department of Labor
List of medical and insurance terms
Glossary of Health Coverage and Medical Terms
Manatt Health Solutions
A report from Manatt Health Solutions and the National Partnership for Women & Families assessing how effectively the Marketplace is providing consumers with reliable information about health plan options, as well as detailing the different ways that both the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and State-Based Marketplaces offer ways for consumers to choose a plan that meets their health and financial needs
Supporting Informed Decision-Making in the Health Insurance Marketplace: A Progress Report
National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative
Information on how to get the most out of the health insurance company’s customer service
Using Health Plan Customer Service to Learn Scope of Coverage
UnitedHealthcare
Glossary of health insurance terms
Glossary
Understanding the basics of health insurance
Health Insurance 101
Urban Institute Health Policy Center
Survey results found differences in health insurance literacy among different racial and ethnic groups
Large Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health Insurance Literacy Signal Need for Targeted Education and Outreach
MEDICAID/CHIP RESOURCES
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Report on what information about eligibility and benefits for programs including Medicaid and CHIP is available online in each state
Online Services for Key Low-Income Benefit Programs
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Collection of printable consumer resources designed to help beneficiaries understand the preventive services available to them under Medicaid and CHIP
Living Well – Promoting Preventive Services
Medicaid.gov
Information on dental benefits for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
Dental Care
List of Medicaid benefits that all states are required to provide
Medicaid Benefits
State Medicaid and CHIP Program Information
State Medicaid & CHIP Profiles
State Medicaid Websites
Sites that contain answers to questions about how to use Medicaid
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions
North Dakota Department of Human Services
Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions
Utah Department of Health
Medicaid Member Guide
Wyoming Medicaid
Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions