Health Literacy is
“the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”
(Affordable Care Act, 2010)
Tools & Resources
Kentucky Health Insurance Literacy Training Modules
MODULE 1
- Module 1.1: Health Insurance Literacy Introduction Dr. Jean Edward, University of Kentucky
- Objectives
- Define health insurance literacy
- Describe current statistics on Health Insurance Literacy in the US and Kentucky in specific
- Recognize the impact of limited Health Insurance Literacy on access to healthcare services
- Module 1.2: Understanding Health Insurance Literacy as Health Professionals Dr. Jean Edward, University of Kentucky
- Objectives
- Identify ways to provide assistance to consumers with low health insurance literacy
- Discuss strategies for improving consumer health insurance literacy
- Discuss strategies for improving health systems to be more consumer friendly and improving access to resources that promote health insurance literacy
- Module 1.3: Health Insurance Literacy in Real Life – Results from Studies in West and South Louisville Dr. Ryan Combs, University of Louisville
- Objectives
- Describe the barriers to getting and using health insurance that study participants faced
- Compare the acceptability of different methods of conveying health literacy concepts to residents
- Explain the characteristics of community health workers that West Louisville residents desired
MODULE 2
- Module 2.1: Understanding Health Insurance in Plain Language Elizabeth Edghill, Family Health Centers
- Objectives
- Share strategies for explaining the broad concept of health insurance in plain language
- Examine what one needs to know about health insurance-costs, terminology, covered services, and networks
- Share sample resource, wording, and visual representations for defining cost-sharing terms and concepts
- Module 2.2: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Malea Hoepf, University of Louisville
- Objectives
- Describe at least 2 goals of the ACA
- List two ways the ACA changed access to health insurance
- Identify at least one resource to learn more about the ACA in their state
- Module 2.3: Enrolling in Private Health Insurance Plans Ashley Shoemaker, Family Health Centers
- Objectives
- List the key questions and factors that clients need to consider when selecting a health insurance plan
- Explain the eligibility guidelines, open enrollment and special enrollment periods
- Help clients effectively compare different health insurance plan options
- Module 2.4: Enrolling in Public Health Insurance Plans Ashley Shoemaker, Family Health Centers
- Objectives
- List the different parts of Medicare, including what services are covered
- Explain in broad strokes the different categories of Medicaid coverage
- List the general eligibility requirements for Medicare and Medicaid
MODULE 3
- Module 3.1: Using Health Insurance to Access Care Elizabeth Edghill, Family Health Centers
- Objectives
- List situations when one should use their health insurance card
- Define health insurance terms, costs, and key documents using simple examples and plain language
- Emphasize the importance of paying premiums and meeting requirements to keep health insurance coverage
- Share an activity that can be used with individuals or groups to compare and contrast the levels of care in Kentucky’s health care system
- Module 3.2: Troubleshooting Health Insurance Problems Emily Beauregard, Kentucky Voices for Health
- Objectives
- Understand the types and causes of surprise medical bills
- Learn how to avoid getting a surprise bill and ways to resolve one
- Understand what issues can be appealed or filed as a grievance
- Learn the steps of the appeals process and where to go for assistance
Tools for Teaching
These materials have been developed and used by Health Literacy Kentucky members over the past several years. We encourage you to adapt and use them with community members and professionals in your area! We’d love to know about updates you make and audiences that you reach. Connect with us here.
Resources
Research
About Us
Health Literacy Kentucky (HLK) is a statewide coalition working for a healthier Commonwealth through improved health literacy. We are a group of advocates, health care professionals, and academic partners who have been volunteering and promoting health literacy initiatives together since 2009.
Learn more!
Health Literacy Kentucky works to:
- Encourage cross-discipline partnerships for health literacy programs across the state
- Raise awareness of the issues related to health literacy in communities across the state
- Provide training for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems
- Foster the development of ongoing health literacy research in Kentucky
- Share Kentucky-specific health literacy challenges, interventions, successes, and failures
Steering Committee
Jim Ballard, EdD, MS
UK Center for Interprofessional Health Education
Emily Beauregard, MPH
Kentucky Voices for Health
Gina Brien, MA
Appalachian Kentucky Healthcare Access Network
Liza Creel, PhD, MPH
UofL Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky
Liz Edghill, RN, BSN, BA
HLK Chair
Family Health Centers
Jean Edward, PhD, RN, CHPE
UK School of Nursing
Nancy Harrington, PhD
University of Kentucky Department of Communication & College of Communication & Information
Natalie Jones
University of Kentucky Family & Consumer Sciences Extension
Clark Kebodeaux, PharmD, BCACP
University of Kentucky Pharmacy Practice & Science Department
Carlos Marin
University of Kentucky AHEC
Craig Martin, PharmD, MBA
UK College of Pharmacy
Heather Norman-Burgdolf, PhD
UK Cooperative Extension
Austin Nugent
Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative
Elaine Russell, MS, RD, LD
Kentucky Cancer Consortium
Brent Wright, MD
Provider Representative