Findings from Weill Cornell Medical College in the Area of Affordable Care Act Reported (Insurance Enrollment at a Student-Run Free Clinic After the…

Findings from Weill Cornell Medical College in the Area of Affordable Care Act Reported (Insurance Enrollment at a Student-Run Free Clinic After the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Data detailed on Affordable Care Act have been presented. According to news reporting originating in New York City, New York, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to increase insurance coverage through government subsidies. Medical student-run free clinics (SRFC) are an important entry point into the healthcare system for the uninsured."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Weill Cornell Medical College, "SRFCs do not have a standardized approach for navigating the complexities of enrollment. The Weill Cornell Community Clinic (WCCC) developed a unique enrollment model that may inform other SRFCs. Our objective is to describe enrollment processes at SRFCs throughout New York City, and to evaluate enrollment outcomes and persistent barriers to coverage at WCCC. We surveyed SRFC leadership throughout NYC to understand enrollment processes. We evaluated enrollment outcomes at WCCC through chart review and structured phone interviews. Subjects included WCCC patients seen in clinic between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2015 (N = 140). Demographic information, method of insurance enrollment, and qualitative description of enrollment barriers were collected. SRFCs in New York City have diverse enrollment processes. 48% (N = 42) of WCCC patients obtained health insurance. Immigration status was a barrier to coverage in 21% of patients. Failure to gain coverage was predicted by larger household size (p = 0.02). Gender and employment status were not associated with remaining uninsured. The main barriers to enrollment were inability to afford premiums and lack of interest. Insurance enrollment processes at SRFCs in New York City are mostly ad hoc and outcomes are rarely tracked."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Following implementation of the ACA, WCCC stands out for its structured approach, with approximately half of eligible WCCC patients gaining coverage during the study period."

For more information on this research see: Insurance Enrollment at a Student-Run Free Clinic After the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Journal of Community Health, 2017;42(4):785-790. Journal of Community Health can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Journal of Community Health - www.springerlink.com/content/0094-5145/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. McGeehan, Weill Cornell Med College, New York, NY 10021, United States. Additional authors for this research include R. DeMaria, P. Charney and A.S. Batavia (see also Affordable Care Act).

Keywords for this news article include: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America, Affordable Care Act, Weill Cornell Medical College.

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