A One-Stop Shop

As a Health and Benefits Advocate at Eleventh Street Family Health Services, my primary objective is to provide health insurance education and assistance to individuals and families who are uninsured. Without health insurance, patients have very limited healthcare access. Despite Eleventh Street’s status as a Federally Qualified Health Center, meaning it doesn’t turn patients away due to inability to pay, my goal is to encourage and assist patients with health insurance enrollment and navigation.

After completing a Medical Assistance application, one of the several applications I help patients with, I inform them of the types of coverage the insurance provides. On many occasions patients are pleased that they can take advantage of an array of services such as primary care, specialty care, and even dental care. The integrative services that Eleventh Street provides makes our center a one-stop shop for our patients. Assisting patients with insurance opens the door to other services our center offers, giving patients different opportunities to manage their own health. Through cooking classes, the fitness center, and mind-body classes, patients are given the tools to improve their lives.

The Outreach and Enrollment event at Eleventh Street is another opportunity for patients to become better informed about  health insurance options. During this event, I, along with two other employees, conduct insurance assessments and assist patients with enrollment in either Marketplace insurance, also known as Obamacare, or Medical Assistance offered through the state. This event provides patients the opportunity to ask any questions they have about health insurance and get coverage if they are not currently insured. Unlike other days at my host site, the Outreach and Enrollment event is advertised to the community through flyers and an automated robo-call system as an open event for individuals who may be new to Eleventh Street. These events have had a great turnout and patients leave with information they did not have before they came.

In addition to health insurance enrollment, I also assist patients with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) applications. Patients with or without an appointment can walk-in, and I provide them with information and/or complete the application with them for these benefits. These programs give patients the assistance they need to take steps toward leading healthier lifestyles. Armed with these services, patients are able to shop at local grocery stores and farmers markets that offer an array of healthy food options. In addition, individuals and families will have heat in their homes during the winter months, which makes the Philadelphia winter more bearable. As a patient advocate, I also act as a liaison between patients and insurance companies or their local County Assistance Office, which issues SNAP and LIHEAP benefits and is part of the Department of Human Services. My assistance alleviates some of the stress patients feel when having to communicate with these entities, and some individuals express that they lack of knowledge about health insurance and prefer to have a Health and Benefits Advocate mediate the interaction. Serving patients in my role makes it easier for patients to navigate the convoluted health care system.

^{Photo source: http://drexel.edu/cnhp/practices/11th-street/}
 

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Amber Hubert.
Amber serves as a Health & Benefits Advocate at Family Practice & Counseling Network-Stephen and Sandra Seller 11th Street Family Health Services