Health Care in Transition Action Plan
1999 Update

Vision:

Focus:

Managed care

Access to care

Roles of insurance in changing health care environment

Consumer knowledge of health care plans

Major Impacts:

1. Insurance Purchasing Group project:

   Project was started by the team who continues to be involved in its progress. Currently, 1000 Nebraskans have expressed interest in becoming part of the group, i.e. buying health insurance via this method. Extension collected evaluation data, wrote a technical report on work completed as of December 1998, and will be presenting that report in May 1999. Project is headed toward legislative impact, insuring the group, or both. Over $60,000 in grant funding has supported both the in-house and external phases of the project to date. [Related focus: access to care, role of insurance]

2. Workshops:

   Four local Write it Easy to Read workshops were initially offered. Content examples and input focused on action plan content. Four workshops were delivered up on request. At least one private organization documented its efforts to revise their employment materials based on what they learned in the workshop. [Related focus: application to consumer knowledge of health care plans]

3. Publications:

   a) Columns have been produced for Access, newsletter for Rural Health Professionals from the Nebraska Office of Rural Health, focusing on consumer issues and/or Extension programming activities.

   b) Community lessons are being used in other states as per anecdotal and written notification received. States reporting: Ohio, Alabama, Illinois. [Related focus: managed care, access to care, role of insurance, and consumer knowledge of health care plans]

4. Networking:

   a) Input being requested by state government and industry groups. Participation of Medicare Beneficiary Coalition members in development of lesson, State Fair, and April Update 1999. Specialist invited to regional Health Care Financing Administration training for insurance industry personnel. [Related focus: managed care, consumer knowledge of health care plans]

   b) More Extension Educators in local communities are involved in health care need/asset surveys (Norfolk, Ainsworth, and West Point). [Related focus: access to care]

   c) Team size has increased. More input being received from Educators not previously involved in the project.

Plans for 1999:

1. Continuation of health coalitions in York, Kearney, West Point, and Ainsworth. Attention to community educational efforts as some rural hospitals transition to critical access hospital status.
2. Begin the development of health policy web based instruction course with Extension modules. Grant proposals have been submitted for consideration.
3. Develop display for advertising team's efforts. Use options include: national Extension educational forums, local health fairs, and county fairs.
4. Team Work day, May 17. Focus: reading insurance policy/descriptor. Comprehension of information. Developing a process to teach reading one's policy to be unveiled April 2000.

Leadership (Team Leaders):

Mary Ellen Rider, Co-chair - UNL Family and Consumer Sciences

Judy Weber, Co-chair - UNL Cooperative Extension - Fillmore County

Carol Plate, Co-chair - UNL Cooperative Extension - Brown, Rock, Keya Paha Counties