Superheroes Need Health Insurance, Too
Ms. Magnificent can stop a moving train before it hits a family of ducks but sometimes asthma gets the best of her, sending this superhero off to the emergency room. She gets a rescue inhaler at the ER and a "super-sized bill."
Marvelous Man saves kittens from trees with his super stretch powers, but when his back acts up from all of the contortions, he doesn't seek care. He's a new immigrant who doesn't think he's eligible for health insurance.
Kid Cartwheel uses her acrobatic prowess to save a turtle from a bus but sprains her wrist in the process. Having just turned 19, she's no longer covered by the
But everyone needs health insurance--even superheroes.
This key point and the message that there are people available to help navigate the complex system of health insurance enrollment are takeaways from several short superhero videos and a web resource, created through a partnership among several
"
"Using storytelling, which is an effective way to raise awareness, we created characters who resonated with different sorts of situations most people would experience, such as transitioning off of one plan to another, managing chronic disease and changing your doctor. We embedded particular learning points into all of these stories."
While the Affordable Care Act cut the number of uninsured by more than half since its inception, millions in
"When we looked at the research, it was historically marginalized racial/ethnic communities that continued to remain uninsured," Patel said. "There was still a disparity between whites and other communities in terms of those actually taking advantage of the ACA and all it had to offer."
Patel,
"We worked with a number of groups to try to create the knowledge we would need at the community level to understand the uninsured situation in the
Partners included
The participants in the project were largely Black/
"Before there was ever a video series, they liked the focus groups. They liked being asked, 'What do you think?'" said
Covenant serves 20,000
Pettway, who is also a graduate of the
"Now we're trying to sell health insurance again and it's like when you go to a restaurant and get bad food. You are reluctant to go back again," she said.
"Many of our immigrant and refugee clients have sensitivities. They come from war-torn areas and have a mistrust of government," she said. "They are afraid to share personal information."
Normally, when we think of superheroes we expect them to save the day. They all still do, but in this case, the champions of the series are the people that help the heroes figure out how to navigate health coverage.
"I love the characters. I love what they represent, and I love the messages they have, but the navigators were the ones that, to me, make the most impression because now I know who to go to for help, if I had any one of those situations," said
Her organization serves a large number of newly arrived immigrant families who often face confusion regarding legal status and health insurance in
"I think this program's really going to help people as they go to choose insurance to really choose the thing that's going to be best for them," Meyers said.
Study participant
"To stay alive. To make better choices out of life. To eat better. To have a better heart. Those are the most important parts," Lewis said.
The videos are available in Spanish, Arabic and English.
More information:
* Read the full article (https://sph.umich.edu/news/home-releases/superheroes-032718.html)
*
Aspen Re Management Change
Affordable Care Act Led to Increase in Breastfeeding, Indiana University Research Finds
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News