MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medica and Briva Health have joined forces to educate members of Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare health plans about the complex world of health insurance. Dubbed “Health Insurance 101,” the program begins this fall and targets Somali and African American Medica members of Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare health plans in the Cedar Riverside and North Minneapolis neighborhoods. The first session will be October 15.
Health Insurance 101 provides members with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the health care system. Six face-to-face sessions will be offered in a location, format and language that are familiar to members. A member may attend any of the sessions. Some specific topics include: understanding preventive care, who to call for help finding a provider and appropriate use of emergency rooms.
Initially, Health Insurance 101 will be rolled out as a pilot program. The sessions will be evaluated based on participants’ understanding of health insurance and how to effectively use it; and in the long term, help monitor behavior changes regarding preventive and ER service utilization.
The need for health insurance education at the community level has been expressed by Medica members and partner organizations alike. Health insurance is complex and can be difficult to understand—especially when considering language and cultural barriers. Briva Health and Medica each bring unique strengths to this partnership. Briva Health is equipped with direct access to Medica’s member communities and the culturally appropriate tools for sharing this important information. Medica brings community outreach staff and health insurance expertise to the partnership.
“Every year, we help thousands of Minnesotans enroll in affordable health coverage, and that is a great feeling,” said Hodan Guled, vice president of Briva Health. “Unfortunately, many of them are struggling to effectively use their coverage. A great majority of the new enrollees we serve have never had health coverage, and for them, understanding simple health insurance terminologies can be a challenge. In some immigrant communities, the concept of health insurance is brand new, and many people in these communities face multiple barriers to accessing the right information, including language, cultural, and technology. We are excited to partner with Medica to help these individuals understand their coverage and make the appropriate health decisions for them and their families.”
Said Kari Bailey, director of community health for Medica State Public Programs: “As the first point of contact for many individuals seeking Medica Assistance, Briva Health is an ideal partner for member education and outreach. Our long term vision is to provide Health Insurance 101 to any member who has a desire to understand their health insurance benefits and achieve better health.”
About Briva Health
Briva Health (www.brivahealth.com)
is dedicated to delivering creative and effective health solutions to
health organizations with the goal of improving access to care and
outcomes for hard to reach and under-served populations. They are the
go-to organization for many low-income, minority, and immigrant/refugee
individuals and families seeking assistance with health coverage
enrollment and navigating the health care system.
About Medica
Medica (www.medica.com)
is a health services company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in
the Upper Midwest. With approximately 1.7 million members, the
non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer,
individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota,
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica
also offers national network coverage to employers who have employees
outside the Medica regional network.
Medica’s vision is to become the community’s health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency. Medica partners with the communities it serves in many ways, including engagement with its member communities and through the Medica Foundation, a nonprofit, charitable grant-making foundation. The Medica Foundation, which provided $1.5 million in grants in 2015, generally seeks to fund community-based programs and initiatives that can provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the availability, access and quality of healthcare.
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