Apple Health for Kids Education and Outreach

Grant

Apple Health for Kids Education and OutreachDesigned to provide outreach, education, and access to the State health

insurance program for children in Washington• Funded by the State of Washington Healthcare Authority.• Implemented by Community-Minded Enterprises of Spokane, WA, in

partnership with: – Desautel Hege Communications – Kauffman and Associates Inc.– Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima– Child Care Resources of Washington

• Other local partners include Tacoma Community House, the Asian Pacific Cultural Center of Tacoma, the Filipino Association of Seattle, International Community Health Services, the Child Care Action Council, the Hmong Association, and other individual contractors in Clark and Whatcom Counties.

The Problem• As of 2012, approximately 83,000 eligible children in Washington

are uninsured.• Of these, more than 30,000 are concentrated in King, Pierce,

Clark, and Yakima counties.• Of these, approximately 39% are from three population groups:

American Indian/Alaska Native; Hispanic; and Asian Pacific Islander.

• Of the remaining 53,000 eligible children throughout the state more than 20,000 were represented by the target populations.

Why does this problem exist?• Lack of knowledge among the general population of the eligibility

guidelines.• Apprehension among the newly poor (recession based) about

applying for government funded services.• Lack of knowledge about the quality of the coverage.• Geographic and cultural isolation from Media and services.• Lack of tailored Media messaging.• Disconnect between current messaging and the manner in which

specific population groups normally access information and trust that it is accurate.

The Research Desautel Hege Communications

The Goal

Utilize research results to develop a marketing campaign with a common theme that could be

adapted to each population or audience and modified depending on the type of outreach.

Research Elements• Focus groups with 9-11 participants within the Hispanic

community.Questions asked about: Attitudes toward health; Health insurance;

Apple Health for Kids; and Communication preferences.• Insight interviews with 12 key stakeholders who regularly

interacted with each of the three target populations. Questions asked about: Perceptions and level of awareness of Apple

Health for Kids for interviewees and members of the population groups they serve; barriers their audiences face, what their preferences are, and how to make them aware of the health insurance choices they have for their children.

Elements cont.• Two online surveys were conducted among 70 respondents.

Questions asked about: General health care preference information as well as specific opinions on advertisement and website options for Apple Health for Kids.

• National secondary research reports were reviewed to gather general health care preferences and information by special population.

• With the 2010 census data now available, DHC reviewed each of the four counties (Clark, King, Pierce, and Yakima) to identify demographic breakdowns of each county’s population: Income levels, family sizes, and other demographic characteristics wereanalyzed to identify how best to reach out to each county withcampaign elements.

Summary of Key Findings• Most participants considered health coverage important to their family’s health.• The element most important to their family’s overall health was being able to

afford care and medicine. • Who do they trust most for health care information? Most said someone they

know well (i.e., Tribal community member, friend, family member) as well as cultural community centers or small clinics. The person who was trusted most was their doctor.

• Preferred ways to receive information about Health Care among the participants included: Medical Professionals; Community Events; Direct mail; Flyers, Health Fairs; through advertisements, posters, and Community/Ethnic newspapers.

• Culturally appropriate presentations and those in native languages were valued by all.

• More than 60% of all surveyed had never heard the term, Apple Health for Kids.

The Findings cont.• 85% of respondents liked the website proposed for the project.

(The Bridge)• Participants were asked for specific recommendations for Apple

Health for Kids’ messaging and information. Participants recommended: – Simplified messages that are easy to understand, being easily

accessible, knowing what is or is not covered, how the program works, commitment involved, cost and affordability, language translations as well as having representatives available to answer questions. The top messaging themes recommended were Free to low cost, Quality, Everyone has the right to stay healthy or the right to insurance, Quick and easy to access, and Why wait?

The MessagingBillboard

MessagingRack cards

MessagingRack card Spanish

MessagingRadio Ad

MessagingTV commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa91u6ephEs

Overall Outreach StrategyMarketing roll out: February 25

Overall project timeline: Jan.1 – June 30 2013

A three-pronged effort1. Comprehensive Marketing efforts throughout the state2. The Development of the Bridge site3. Major efforts on the ground within the target communities to

include participation in more than 30 major events and gatherings including Health Screening Fairs and Pow Wows.

Bridge Page• A Transactional Landing page – Beginning point in the process of

accessing program information and applying for benefits.• Simple and “Plain talked”• Friendly and culturally appropriate.• Accessible in 8 languages• A gateway to the existing application process and person to person

assistance as necessary.• Gathers and compiles basic demographic and contact information

and documents actions taken by applicants in real time.• “Back end” data tracking and reporting capabilities.

Role of Partners• Participate in major community events and represent the Apple

Health for Kids Outreach and Education project.• Assist individuals at events in applying for Apple Health for Kids

using the Bridge Page.• Distribution of flyers and rack cards• Distribution of promotional materials within their membership or

client base.• Distribute AHFK applications and provide application assistance at

in house events.

The Work of PartnersCatholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima – Sandra Aguilar primary

contact. Focus on Hispanic families in Central Washington.• Activities include health related events for residents of Catholic

Charities Housing services• Application assistance and materials distribution at major events

including Yakima Play Date Expo, and Fiesta Grande Cinco de Mayo in Pasco.

• Up to 5 other outreach events in partnership with parishes and community-based organizations throughout the region.

The Work of PartnersKauffman and Associates Inc. focuses on Native American outreach with

tribes in Washington including the Yakama nation, Confederated tribes of the Colville nation, the Spokane tribe, and the Quinault tribe.

• Kauffman provided the technical support to develop the Bridge page in use for the project.

• Provide enrollment assistance and materials distribution at numerous events and Pow Wows.

• Pow Wows include: Kalispel Winter; Muckleshoot; Pah-Loots-Pu at Pullman; Native Health at Rogers High School; Coeur d’Alene Tribal ; First Nations at UW Spring Pow Wow. Additional events include : Hoopfest; Native Youth conference, and the Spokane Tribe Health and Home and Garden Fair.

The Work of Partners• Filipino Association of Seattle - serving 40K Filipinos in the King

County area and surrounding communities. This organization is also closely connected with Filipino Associations throughout the State of Washington. Along with these, FCS also provides event space for other Asian communities.

• Hmong Community of Washington, a non-profit organization, established in 1983 to help support the Hmong community in the Puget Sound region (King, Pierce, Snohomish). HAW’s mission is to serve the Hmong community in these ways: (1) to preserve and promote the culture, (2) to advocate for the Hmong people, and (3) to promote education in the community.

The Work of Partners• Child Care Resource Center- every month provides services to

approximately 1100 parents with children throughout the state.• For the work in Snohomish County, we are partnered with two

community leaders Rosario Reyes and Velma Veloria.• In Pierce County, we are partnered with both Tacoma Community

House- providing education, employment, immigration, and social services to refugees, immigrants, and English speaking adults and youth - and the Asia Pacific Cultural Center.

• International Community Health Services– well-known and trusted health clinics targeting the Asian Pacific population (4 current locations with plans to open 2 new clinics in Bellevue and Shoreline in the next 2 years).

Outreach Strategy Stage 2 – Expand circle of partnersExpand the circle of partners for AHFK Outreach/Education to:• Other ethnic, social and cultural organizations (Koreans, Samoans,

other groups).• Community colleges in target areas (newspaper promotions and

distribution of promotional materials in the library, cafeteria, bookstores and student organizations)

• Worksource and agencies/organizations servicing the unemployed (reaching the newly unemployed looking for an alternative to children’s health insurance formerly sponsored by their employer or COBRA).

Outreach Stage 3 - Contact HR departments and employees of businesses.

Among other populations, this effort would target:• Part-time employees who might not be eligible for benefits through

their employer• Companies that are unable to provide healthcare coverage for

employees or are only able to provide health insurance for employees but not their families.

• Employees whose wages aren’t high enough to afford children’s health insurance.

If HR departments are aware of AHFK, they can make eligibility and application information available to applicable employees in their

companies.

Where are we now? Through April 30

• 3379 visitors to the Bridge• 953 individual families applied for benefits• Those 953 families represent 1660 children• 427 calls to our Toll free line• 41 referrals from Child Care resources of Washington• 42% of the applicant children represent the targeted

ethnic groups listed in the RFP.

Apple Health for Kids Outreach And Education Contacts

• Ray White – 509-209-2653. • Rayw@community-minded.org • Ben Cabildo – 509-209-2634. • Benc@community-minded.org • Linea Bruno – 509-209-2621. • Lineab@community-minded.org

1-855-900-3066

myapplehealth.org