Insure GA
The EPRC received a contract from Community Health Works, a non-profit organization based in Macon, GA, to evaluate Insure GA, a project funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Insure GA Navigators provide free, one-on-one guidance (“navigation”) to connect Georgians who need insurance to coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace. They also assist eligible health care Consumers with Medicaid, Medicare, PeachCare for Kids, and veterans’ benefits.
The evaluation assessed the Insure GA initiative’s navigation services, specifically, how navigation affects Consumers’ access to health care and use of health care services, and ways to improve Insure GA’s navigation services. The evaluation assessed health care access and use, health coverage maintenance, perceived health status, worry about health care costs, barriers to obtaining and using health coverage, and the role of and satisfaction with the Insure GA Navigators. Consumers who received full navigation services from Insure GA were asked to participate in the evaluation at Baseline, and then 6 months and 1-year after receiving navigation services. Baseline data was collected by Insure GA Navigators during open enrollment, and follow-up survey data was collected by phone, mail, or email by Emory.
The framework for this evaluation was based on Anderson’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. This model theorizes that the environment (including the health care system) and population characteristics (like having affordable health insurance) both influence health behavior, specifically personal health practices (e.g., not smoking, physical activity) and use of health services. Together, all of these factors influence health outcomes. This evaluation hypothesized that by reducing barriers to ACA Marketplace Insurance, Insure GA helps Consumers gain affordable access to health care. This in turn may promote appropriate use of health services and improved health outcomes.
+ Andersen RM. (1995). Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: Does it matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36(1):1-10.