Aetna PDF | HTML
Hypertension in African Americans Study
Research shows that, compared to white Americans, African Americans have a higher prevalence of hypertension and poorer cardiovascular and renal outcomes. To address this issue, Aetna worked with Health & Technology Vector, Inc. and Morehouse School of Medicine to evaluate the effectiveness of a Culturally Competent Disease Management Program (CCDMP) relative to a Light Support Disease Management Program (LSP). As part of a two-arm cluster randomized control study, the disease management programs were offered to certain Aetna African American members with hypertension, in addition to the members’ usual care from their physicians.
Contact: Karin Rush-Monroe
Highmark Inc. PDF | HTML
Increasing African American Enrollment in Community Fitness Centers
Consistent exercise is not only a key component of a healthy lifestyle but also linked to lower medical costs. In an effort to empower Highmark Medicare Advantage members to adopt a regular fitness routine, Highmark partnered with evidence-based SilverSneakers® Fitness Program, designed exclusively for Medicare-eligible individuals, offering complimentary memberships with access to a variety of participating locations throughout the country. Highmark found that within their Medicare Advantage member population, SilverSneakers enrollment rates were lower for African American members compared to the white members. To decrease this enrollment disparity, Highmark Inc. sought to increase African American enrollment by increasing member access to SilverSneakers facilities and awareness of the SilverSneakers program. Through analysis of fitness center usage by race/ethnicity, neighborhood gap analysis and enhanced marketing to minority members, the initiative identified and addressed challenges in enrollment and participation in neighborhoods with high concentrations of African American members.
Contact: Norma Nolte
Keystone Mercy Health Plan PDF | HTML
The Health Ministry Program's 40-Day Journey
Many African American women are the matriarchs and decision makers in their families. However they experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death and disability compared with non-minorities. To address this disparity, Keystone Mercy Health Plan collaborated with various health, wellness and community organizations to develop a 40-day faith-based, holistic wellness program for African American families. The 40-Day Journey’s goal is to improve quality of life and the lives of future generations. By involving the community, the 40-Day Journey provides access to preventive care for many individuals and their families.
Contact: Maria Pajil Battle
Molina Healthcare of Michigan PDF | HTML
Check Up! or Check Out!
African American males have the shortest life expectancy of all males in Michigan, living an average of only 68.3 years. 36% do not live to reach the age of 65. In Detroit, the death rate for these men is 1062.7 per 100,000 compared to 892.2 per 100,000 in the state of Michigan. In addition, in 2005-2006, only 7% of African American male members of Molina Healthcare of Michigan age 21-64 living in Detroit received a preventive exam. In response to these trends, Molina Healthcare partnered with the Health Disparities Reduction and Minority Health Section of the Michigan Department of Community Health to begin a five-year project, Check Up or Check Out! (CUCO). The purpose of this project was to improve preventive exam and screening rates for this often overlooked population.
Contact: Kathryn Armstrong
UnitedHealthcare Asian Initiatives PDF | HTML
In-Language Member and Public Outreach in New York's Asian Community
The majority of Chinese-speaking seniors are first-generation immigrants who often experience language barriers and are unaware of the social welfare systems available to them. These barriers have prevented them from accessing health care benefits and social services that could improve their quality of life. UnitedHealthcare’s analyses of membership disenrollment revealed that at least 50% of their disenrollees are dual eligible. The challenge is likely compounded by the community’s misunderstanding that dual eligible beneficiaries do not need to join a Medicare Advantage plan. UnitedHealthcare worked to provide Chinese-speaking seniors with an innovative outreach program to assist them with social benefits. The program objectives were to increase enrollment and decrease disenrollment of dual eligible beneficiaries while, at the same time, offering accessibility and services beyond traditional health care.
Contact: Christopher K. Law
UnitedHealthcare Latino Health Solutions PDF | HTML
Enhanced Bilingual Service and Member Access Initiative
Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce and many Hispanics, while speaking English at work, prefer to speak Spanish at home and rely on Spanish when dealing with complicated or personal topics like health care and health care coverage. This requires a new paradigm in customer service delivery for bilingual and Spanish-preference members. To make certain that Spanish-preference members receive the same quality of service as English-speaking members, UnitedHealthcare Latino Health Solutions implemented an Enhanced Bilingual Service and Member Access Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to improve access to and quality of Spanish-speaking members’ interactions with the health plan.
Contact: Russell Bennett
Virginia Premier Health Plan, Inc. PDF | HTML
Increasing Breastfeeding Among African American Women
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “epidemiologic research shows that human milk and breastfeeding of infants provide advantages with regard to general health, growth and development, while significantly decreasing risk for a large number of acute and chronic diseases.” In Virginia Premier Health Plan’s member population, only 27% of women with live births in 2005 attempted to breastfeed. Furthermore, while 45% of members are White and 44% are African American, among those members who chose to breastfeed, 61% were white and 30% were African American. To reduce the disparities and barriers to breastfeeding, Virginia Premier collaborated with Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) and other community agencies such as the Woman, Infants and Children peer support group and regional health departments to develop a comprehensive program for the African American community. The breastfeeding initiative consisted of numerous interventions designed to encourage, support and educate women about breastfeeding. It utilized its community partnerships to provide peer support groups, outreach materials, hotlines, classes and specialized guidance such as lactation consultants.
Contact: Linda Hines
WellPoint, Inc. PDF | HTML
Applications of Indirect Estimation of Race/Ethnicity Data in Health Plan Activities
Race, ethnicity and language data on health plan membership are essential for addressing health disparities, but many plans still have limited data on their members. While it is preferable to collect these data directly from members, these efforts may not yield complete information on most members for several years. To overcome these barriers, WellPoint engaged RAND to form an internal, dedicated Health Disparities Analystic Unit (HDAU). Leveraging RAND’s prior work in estimating the socio-demographic characteristics of populations, the HDAU developed a proprietary internal model to derive indirect race and ethnicity information of members. The combination of geocoding, name analyses and logistic regressions applied in WellPoint’s methodology provides estimation of member race/ethnicity or preferred language needs based on membership demographics. The model also included updated surname lists and a proprietary African American first name list developed by the HDAU. With information on member race and ethnicity, it is possible to compare performance on quality measures for key groups. These results can aid health plan business planning and identify opportunities for targeted qulatiy improvmeent efforts.
Contact: Zachary Vernon