Health literacy: The time to act is now

Sen. Louis P. DiPalma and Rebecca A. Costello
Posted 4/15/15

By SEN. LOUIS P.

DIPALMA and REBECCA

A. COSTELLO

In its first year, HealthSource RI was utilized to enroll 27,724 Rhode Islanders in affordable, brand-name health plans. That is good news. …

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Health literacy: The time to act is now

Posted

By SEN. LOUIS P.

DIPALMA and REBECCA

A. COSTELLO

In its first year, HealthSource RI was utilized to enroll 27,724 Rhode Islanders in affordable, brand-name health plans. That is good news. It means that many Rhode Islanders who previously were uninsured may now be insured. However, it is vital that insured individuals also know how to utilize their health coverage effectively.

Health care can be downright confusing. Health literacy is important for students as they come off their parents’ insurance plans, for previously uninsured individuals now gaining coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and even for those of us who have been insured for many years. How do I choose a primary care physician? Do I call the doctor or walk into the emergency room when I’m feeling sick? How is care coordinated among different doctors?

Knowing how to answer these questions and others – some much more complex – can lead to healthier individuals, and also drive down the overall costs of health care.

The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, defines health literacy as the “degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.”

Millions of Americans have been introduced to health insurance through the ACA and it is imperative that we ensure they can make effective health care decisions. Yet, only 12 percent of adults have proficient health literacy, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, the only national data on health literacy skills.

Everyone uses health services. Whether it’s going to the doctor’s office, helping care for a loved one, buying medicine over the counter, shopping for health insurance or searching for a specialist, we all are consumers in the health care system. Informed healthcare consumers make better decisions for themselves and their loved ones. Inadequate health literacy results in improper care with potentially dangerous consequences, and the resulting inefficiencies waste the consumers’ health care dollars and could cost society an estimated $106 to $236 billion annually, according to an academic analysis entitled “Health Literacy: Implications for National Health Policy.”

The ACA offers a myriad of health plans. It is easy to imagine how one may become bewildered when asked to choose among the offerings, from low-cost, high deductible bronze-level plans that may cover the basics, to higher-cost, lower-deductible platinum plans with comprehensive coverage. We need to ensure that individuals with low health literacy can make informed decisions when choosing a plan. Additionally, once health insurance is acquired for the first time, individuals with limited health literacy cannot be expected to effectively use their insurance without proper education.

While the primary focus of the ACA has been to ensure Americans have health care coverage, the ACA can only be successful when everyone has the necessary health literacy to effectively use their insurance plans. Health literacy needs to be a national health priority. The increased cost of Medicaid expansion associated with the ACA is currently paid by the federal government, and therefore borne by all taxpayers. Health literacy affects us all, now more than ever.

Given this growing challenge, we must develop a holistic and comprehensive strategy to ameliorate the consequences associated with low health literacy. Local, state and federal governments, community organizations, schools and individuals will all play roles in raising health literacy. One example of addressing this challenge is the Rhode Island Insurance Resource, Education, and Assistance Consumer Helpline, or RIREACH. An initiative of the non-profit Rhode Island Parent Information Network, RIREACH provides assistance to consumers who need help understanding and accessing health coverage.

Individuals also need to take responsibility for raising their health literacy by ensuring they receive annual medical checkups, dental and eye exams, and updated health insurance plans.

Proper health literacy can increase quality of life and life expectancy. Increased health literacy can improve the well-being of Americans, potentially freeing up billions of dollars that could be spent on other priorities. Health literacy is an invaluable skill to have, and we should be working to improve this skill in Rhode Island. The time to act is now.

Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12) is a member of the Governors’ Reinvent Medicaid Working Group. Rebecca A. Costello, a Senate intern, is a graduating senior at the University of Rhode Island.

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