Presenter(s): Harrison Jensen—Planning, Public Policy and Management Faculty
Mentor(s): Nicole Ngo, José Meléndez
Session 3: To Care and How Not to Care, that is the Question…
For low-income and disabled Americans, Medicaid, a joint federal-state program that provides health insurance coverage at low-or-no cost, is a lifeline . And yet, even as the benefits that Medicaid provides are in greater and greater need, nearly 6 million Medicaid-eligible adults aren’t covered . Studies on Medicaid participation rates frequently cite the complexity of the application process as being one of the main reasons why so many don’t enroll . However, relatively little research has been done on how applicants for Medicaid actually navigate through the application process . This study aims to address this gap in the existing body of research by asking individuals who applied for the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s state Medicaid program, about their experience applying . Preliminary interview data shows that applying for Medicaid can, in fact, be burdensome for applicants that are working and/or don’t receive any outside help during the application process .