Barriers to Enrollment for the Uninsured: A Single-Site Survey at an Urban Free Clinic in Milwaukee. WMJ 2019 Apr;118(1):44-46
Date
05/15/2019Pubmed ID
31083835Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85066061470 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 4 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Wisconsin currently has a 6.4% uninsured rate. In Milwaukee, it is not known what proportion of the currently uninsured may be eligible for health insurance and why those eligible have not enrolled.
METHODS: Anonymous surveys were distributed at a free/low-cost health clinic in Milwaukee to ask their attendees why they remain uninsured.
RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of respondents cited insurance being "too expensive" as the primary reason for lacking health insurance. Additionally, 56% of respondents appeared to misunderstand their Medicaid eligibility, while 69% appeared to misunderstand their Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace eligibility.
DISCUSSION: A majority of respondents misunderstood their eligibility for ACA subsidies, indicating that additional efforts are needed to educate uninsured Milwaukee residents to maximize health insurance coverage.
Author List
Bhatt D, Schellhase KAuthor
Kenneth G. Schellhase MD, MPH Adjunct Professor in the Family Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultAmbulatory Care Facilities
Female
Humans
Insurance, Health
Male
Medically Uninsured
Surveys and Questionnaires
Urban Population
Wisconsin
