Suad Ghaddar1, Jihyun Byun2, Janani Krishnaswami3. 1. Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, USA. Electronic address: suad.ghaddar@utrgv.edu. 2. School of Human Ecology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA. Electronic address: jhbyun376@utexas.edu. 3. Department of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, USA. Electronic address: janani.krishnaswami@utrgv.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has allowed millions of Americans to obtain coverage. However, many, especially minorities, remain uninsured. With mounting evidence supporting the importance of health insurance literacy (HIL), the purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between HIL and ACA knowledge. METHODS: We conducted 681 in-person interviews with participants at a community health event along the Texas-Mexico border in 2015, after the conclusion of the ACA's second enrollment period. To assess HIL, we used the Health Insurance Literacy Measure, reflecting consumers' confidence to choose, compare, and use health insurance. We assessed ACA knowledge through the following question: "How much would you say you know about this health reform law?" Logistic regression was used to examine the association between HIL and ACA knowledge after controlling for several covariates. RESULTS: Almost 70% of participants knew nothing/very little about the ACA. Multivariate analyses revealed that no/very little ACA knowledge was associated with low levels of confidence "choosing health insurance plans" (OR:0.55; 95%CI:0.40-0.75) (full sample) and "comparing plans" (OR:0.56; 95%CI:0.32-0.96) (U.S.-born sub-sample). CONCLUSION: No/little ACA knowledge is associated with lower levels of HIL. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Promoting HIL is an essential step towards improving healthcare access.
OBJECTIVE: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has allowed millions of Americans to obtain coverage. However, many, especially minorities, remain uninsured. With mounting evidence supporting the importance of health insurance literacy (HIL), the purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between HIL and ACA knowledge. METHODS: We conducted 681 in-person interviews with participants at a community health event along the Texas-Mexico border in 2015, after the conclusion of the ACA's second enrollment period. To assess HIL, we used the Health Insurance Literacy Measure, reflecting consumers' confidence to choose, compare, and use health insurance. We assessed ACA knowledge through the following question: "How much would you say you know about this health reform law?" Logistic regression was used to examine the association between HIL and ACA knowledge after controlling for several covariates. RESULTS: Almost 70% of participants knew nothing/very little about the ACA. Multivariate analyses revealed that no/very little ACA knowledge was associated with low levels of confidence "choosing health insurance plans" (OR:0.55; 95%CI:0.40-0.75) (full sample) and "comparing plans" (OR:0.56; 95%CI:0.32-0.96) (U.S.-born sub-sample). CONCLUSION: No/little ACA knowledge is associated with lower levels of HIL. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Promoting HIL is an essential step towards improving healthcare access.
Authors: Nathalie Huguet; Steele Valenzuela; Miguel Marino; Heather Angier; Brigit Hatch; Megan Hoopes; Jennifer E DeVoe Journal: Ann Fam Med Date: 2019-07 Impact factor: 5.166