Health insurance for California's fastest-growing population.

According to recent statistics, 2.6 million people are uninsured in Los Angeles County. Among those millions, 47% are Latinos. These are frightening statistics for a population that is the fastest growing in Southern California. But because of California's entrepreneurial nature, a large majority of workers are self-employed, work part-time and are not eligible for health benefits, or work for small businesses unable to afford traditional health insurance.

To increase accessibility to health coverage, CareAmerica Health Plans offers comprehensive HMO and PPO plans for individuals and small businesses at some of the most competitive rates available in Southern California.

In addition, to facilitate language and service barriers that can exist in the administration of health insurance to spanish-speaking populations, CareAmerica has created one of the most comprehensive Spanish-language outreach programs in the area.

CareAmerica's Spanish-language program is designed to help open the lines of communication between the Spanish speaking member and the health insurance plan. The goals of this program include: improving access to information and services in Spanish; increasing individual understanding of the HMO system and how it works; emphasizing the importance of prevention through health education; and raising personal health awareness.

Prior to creating Spanish-language programs, CareAmerica conducted extensive market research with Spanish-speaking consumers and employer groups. Qualitative research included focus groups with both CareAmerica and non-CareAmerica members, and one-on-one interviews with executives of small companies. The quantitative research included more than 500 telephone interviews with both CareAmerica and non-CareAmerica members. The goal of the research was to determine which issues were most important to that segment of the market, and how those issues could best be addressed.

It was evident from the research results that serving this segment of the population requires much more than just speaking the language. Common issues in both the interviews and the focus groups included: a low use of general and preventive services; high use of the emergency room; limited access to Spanish-speaking providers; heavy reliance on employers to resolve insurance problems and help with accessing care; and limited knowledge about health insurance and how an HMO works.

To address these issues, CareAmerica has implemented a number of programs focused on information, education and access. Summaries of benefits, administrative forms, the evidence of coverage, the member handbook and the other informational material have been translated into Spanish. The provider directory notes Spanish speaking physicians and gives instructions in Spanish on how to select a primary care physician. There is a by-monthly Spanish-language newsletter, CareAmerica Y Su Salud which focuses on health awareness, prevention, accessing care and information about CareAmerica. Information to non-members is also a component of this program. There is a public and community relations campaign which involves CareAmerica going out into the communities to promote a health education campaign.

To help educate our Spanish-speaking members we've developed numerous classes and brochures. CareAmerica's Health Education Department offers classes in Spanish on topics including stress management, early pregnancy, back injury and many more. There are also Spanish-language videos that can be borrowed covering topics such as diabetes, AIDS, cholesterol and infant care.

To address the issue of access, CareAmerica has implemented new programs in almost every department. In customer service we've created Servicios en Espanol, a dedicated customer service team with a separate 800 number responsible for assisting our Spanish speaking members in a number of ways. They can assist members in selecting a primary care physician, explain benefit plans, assist in member billing issues, and serve as a communication liaison between CareAmerica and Spanish speaking members. I.D. cards have been translated so that instructions to the members are in Spanish. Changes have been made to the provider directory. We've added a page that describes not only information on how to select a primary care physician, but also describes what a primary care physician is and what role they play in coordinating the member's care. The provider network is continually evaluated to see which doctors are able to support Spanish-speaking members.

Through information, education, and access, CareAmerica's Spanish-language outreach program will enhance our existing services and address the needs of a significant sector of our population.