Medicaid agencies and health plans must communicate important information to members to help them effectively engage with the health care system. Yet, with nearly nine out of 10 adults in the United States facing challenges with health literacy, hard-to-understand communications about health coverage and services can lead to difficulties navigating the health care system, greater costs, and even increased morbidity and mortality. Since this issue disproportionately affects marginalized populations, enhancing clear communication is crucial for advancing health equity and narrowing disparities among Medicaid populations.

This September 24 panel from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) will gather Medicaid stakeholders from state agencies, plans, and at the community member level to explore opportunities to enhance health equity by addressing health literacy. Panelists will explore practical steps that state agencies and health plans can take to address health literacy through improved communications, national cultural and language access standards (such as CLAS), and community engagement. The panel will provide concrete implementation examples and lessons as well as broad recommendations for promoting health literacy.  

Health care organizations, public policy professionals, community advocates, and other interested stakeholders are invited to join this 90-minute event.

Agenda

I. Welcome and Introduction

Speaker: Vicki Quintana, Senior Program Officer, CHCS

V. Quintana will welcome participants and introduce panelists.

II. Overview: Opportunities to Address Health Equity by Improving Health Literacy

Speaker: Shilpa Patel, Director, Population Health and Health Equity, CHCS

S. Patel will outline the role of health literacy in addressing health equity, explain the impetus to address health literacy for Medicaid populations, and share high-level opportunities for organizations to address health equity by focusing on health literacy. 

III. Health Literacy, Equity, and Medicaid: Emerging Strategies

Panelists will provide brief presentations on their strategies and experiences in improving organizational health literacy to promote health equity.

Panel:

• Colleen McGregor, Administrator, Office of Individual and Family Affairs, Banner Health Plans (AZ) and Isabel Bravo, Member of Banner Health Plans Member Advisory Committee
• Danielle Brooks, Director of Health Equity, AmeriHealth Caritas
• Yingjia Huang, Asst. Deputy Director, Health Care Benefits and Eligibility, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS/California Medicaid)

IV. Panel and Audience Q&A

Moderator: V. Quintana

V. Conclusion