Medicare search is not a small task. The beneficiaries must choose from Traditional Medicare and Medicare benefitsDecide whether to buy Medigap policyEvaluate the cost and application range Part D Prescription medicine plan, etc. Also, all parliamentary cycles bring change In the program. To make a “wrong” decision can mean the increase in medical expenses or insurance benefits for beneficiaries. enforce. Similarly, the rise of Deception And advertising with misunderstandings of the Medicare Advantage plan has complicated only the hurdles that the Medicare beneficiaries must face.
To solve these tasks, the Federal Government provides the main funds for the state health insurance support program.ship). Federal supervision of the administration for community life (ACL) The state provides individual counseling so that the ship counseling center and beneficiaries that provide volunteer activities and education to the Medicare beneficiaries can explore many warnings of Medicare. Despite the decades, ship services are not well known, and academic work has almost no evaluation of operations, success or challenges.
New study
rater Boston University Public Health College I recently searched for ship service access paper With a health scholar. They examine the experience of ship employees who provide counseling services to Medicare beneficiaries and potential barriers to ship service access.
Data and method
Researchers conducted qualitative studies interviewing ship coordinators and counselors. To identify potential participants, they randomly chose a ship site that represents the number of average household income, urban or rural status and the number of available Medicare plans. The recruitment was promoted through ACL and the main ship director and helped connect the researchers and practitioners. The interview was performed by zooming between April and September 2023.
In all 15 states, 22 ship coordinators and counselors interviewed. Participants provided a variety of backgrounds, experiences and responsibilities within the ship program. The coordinator had an experience between six months and 17 years, and some turned into a ship in the state or county institution.
A separate interview guide was developed for coordinators and counselors, and ACL staff reviewed. The coordinator was asked about recruitment and preservation strategies for volunteers and employees, and counselors were asked about the problem of general beneficiaries, especially double qualifications and low -income people.
result
The study found that ship services are important for guiding Medicare beneficiaries through complex registration decisions, especially low -income and double eligible individuals. However, continuous challenges limit their effects, including lack of employee, accessible barriers, complexity of Medicare information and incorrect information. Some employees expressed frustration in the complexity of information in the Medicare system, and some employees said they would enjoy additional education for Medicaid and double qualifications of Medicare and Medicaid.
The researchers also asked counselors about how to provide service and access barriers. The staff reported that virtual counseling occurred more frequently during the Covid-19 Pandemicic and the beneficiaries were more popular in rural environments. But it is not a solution for one size. Employees report that many beneficiaries, especially beneficiaries with mobility or transport restrictions prefer virtual counseling, while people who do not have access to technology prefer levels of counseling. Most counselors reported satisfaction using telephone -based language line analysis services, but language barriers were common among beneficiaries. However, the counselor faced difficulties if he translated Medicare’s specialized terms and refuses to use the translation line.
The ship employee deals with a wide range of counseling sessions and has been interested in helping customers understand the difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. The counselor helped customers evaluate the needs according to factors such as health care, existing conditions and financial consideration. Low -income and dual eligibility individuals often consulted with Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program and low -income subsidies (e.g.::: Additional help program). The main task faced by the counselor was to deal with television advertisements or brokers’ false information, and the beneficiaries made a decision without information about the Medicare option.
limits
The qualitative approach provides in -depth insights in the operation of the ship and the challenge from the point of view of the ship employee, but does not capture the beneficiaries’ perspective. Similarly, the interviews depended on the main ship director for the recommendation of the participants, which may have introduced the starting prejudice on both the staff and the site hired for participation.
conclusion
The ship plays an important role in guiding the beneficiaries of Medicare through complex guarantee decisions. Counselors often fight advertising and brokers’ false information and often support unintended registration. Expansion of education and paying employees to include information about Medicaid is essential to strengthen the ability to provide accurate and prejudice support for those who need the most.
