Women in low-income areas chose not to seek medical care from their nearest health center in affluent areas. This is due to an insulting interaction she had with the office staff there earlier.

Spanish-speaking men with prostate cancer in remission avoid follow-up appointments because they are not comfortable communicating with staff in English. His daughter would go with him if he asked, but he doesn’t want to push it. Instead, he takes a chance and stays home.

As these two examples illustrate, barriers to access to health care for the most vulnerable transcend social determinants of health (SDoH) such as lack of reliable transport and economic instability. . Cultural, racial, and socioeconomic barriers also play a role, from cultural reluctance to seek treatment, to mistrust of healthcare providers, to stigma for Medicaid recipients. As a result, involving these people becomes a very complex and delicate task.

How can health insurance systems strengthen the engagement of vulnerable populations, especially at a time when a highly inflation-affected SDoH is undermining access to specialized health care, reducing life expectancy and threatening stability? Right? Here are three considerations:

Approach all conversations with honesty and respect. To establish trust, care managers and customer service representatives must listen intently to members’ concerns and strive to understand members’ health goals. You need to show empathy for the member’s situation by assuring them that they care about you and want to help.”

One way to show credibility is to communicate in the language they understand best. This involves more than just translating scripts and brochures from one language to another. Health plans should also consider the patient’s cultural or ethnic background when crafting messages that resonate with specific population groups.

emphasize transcreation By adapting messages from one language to another, paying close attention to intent, tone, style and content, healthcare plans can more effectively connect with the people they seek to engage. For example, to appeal to the Spanish-speaking population, health plans should utilize cross-cultural teams made up of individuals from various Latin American countries and regions such as Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico. This is important because words and expressions used within the Puerto Rican community may have different meanings within the Mexican-American community.

Communicate consistently and often using a multi-channel approach. Medicaid members are at risk of losing coverage this year due to Medicaid redetermination. Over the past two years, the federal government has channeled more funding to state Medicaid programs as long as they pledge not to deregister members during public health emergencies. Now that the public health emergency is expected to expire this year, states will begin the process of contacting members to ensure they continue to meet income requirements and other aspects of Medicaid eligibility. is needed.

Issue: These members can be difficult to identify, reach, and engage in the redefinition process.

When trying to reach the most underresourced populations, health care representatives should not expect to get the desired response on the first attempt. Especially true for processes. Rather, it’s a multi-channel approach that combines phone calls, text messages, emails and print. For example, the most vulnerable members are more likely to be on a minute-by-minute mobile her plan, which can affect the likelihood that members will want to communicate over the phone.

The most effective health care plans also consider generational preferences and deploy different approaches to initiate and maintain contact with the most difficult to reach people. We also remember that the more complex your message, the more likely it will be ignored or forgotten. The most effective messages are not only simple, specific and personalized, they are also repetitive and relevant.

Strengthen cultural sensitivity and competency training for member-facing staff. Culturally responsive, competent, and empathetic communication can drive the success of complex interventions, such as efforts to close care gaps and involve new mothers in expanding postnatal coverage in many states. . Such coverage is essential given that black women are most at risk, and more women are dying in the first weeks of life. Although increased coverage is expected to improve health outcomes, a study of women in California showed that black women on Medicaid were less likely to attend postpartum appointments. One possible reason is that systemic racism influences the quality of maternal care that black women are likely to receive.

This is done by employing a diverse workforce and implementing cultural sensitivity training to understand how certain groups make important decisions and why they refrain from choosing certain paths. It’s an area where you can increase engagement by making sure your staff understands. Such training also allows staff to reframe questions to ensure correct answers. This process requires a deep understanding of cultural nuances, and some members may be reluctant to be forthright about the challenges they face. Knowledge comes not only from experience but also from education.

Laying the groundwork for increased member engagement

Covid-19 has heightened awareness of disparities in care among populations, but enhancing access to care and health outcomes through focused member engagement will not happen overnight. Instead, it takes patience, sensitivity, and awareness to reach a state where health plans and providers connect the right resources with the right members at the right time. By investing in culture-aware communication, training and support, health plans can make a big difference in the health and quality of life of underserved communities, improving outcomes while reducing treatment costs. I can do it.

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