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Difficulty filling out forms could lead to gaps in insurance coverage for children

Date:
May 1, 2010
Source:
American Academy of Pediatrics
Summary:
A study finds that 92 percent of Medicaid applications were written at or above the fifth-grade reading level, which could lead to gaps in insurance coverage for many children whose families have lower health literacy.
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Simplifying Medicaid renewal applications may help families keep their children enrolled in the government health insurance program, resulting in better medical care, according to research presented May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Many studies have shown that literacy-related barriers affect retention in the Medicaid program. This study compared the reading level of the Medicaid renewal applications in all 50 states and looked at the effect of reading level on child retention.

Results showed that 92 percent of applications were written at or above the fifth-grade reading level. In addition, 46 states had reading level guidelines for Medicaid information, but 46 percent of these states failed to meet their own guidelines.

Researchers also found that the risk of a child getting dropped from coverage went up significantly with each grade level increase in the language used in the Medicaid renewal application.

Given that 90 million American adults have inadequate health literacy -- 40 million of whom read below a fifth-grade reading level -- it is likely that many caregivers of children enrolled in Medicaid have difficulty completing renewal applications, the researchers noted. This inability to fill out the forms may explain, in part, the brief (usually one to three months) lapses in insurance coverage that are common among Medicaid-eligible children. These gaps have been associated with delays in obtaining medical care, including missed preventive visits and unfilled prescriptions.

"This finding is troubling because studies have shown even small gaps in Medicaid coverage may lead to delayed access to health care for children," said Susmita Pati, MD, MPH., lead author of the study and a pediatric researcher at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "This study shows that the literacy level of the applications is one factor that contributes to a child getting dropped from coverage and, in turn, to poor outcomes."

To improve child Medicaid retention, efforts to simplify renewal applications merit serious consideration, the authors concluded.


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Materials provided by American Academy of Pediatrics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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American Academy of Pediatrics. "Difficulty filling out forms could lead to gaps in insurance coverage for children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 May 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013413.htm>.
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2010, May 1). Difficulty filling out forms could lead to gaps in insurance coverage for children. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013413.htm
American Academy of Pediatrics. "Difficulty filling out forms could lead to gaps in insurance coverage for children." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013413.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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