Health access workers ease care

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Betty Austin had never heard of Hoosier Healthwise. Until just a few months ago she wouldn't need to know about it.

Because of some life changes, the Anderson mother said she is no longer able to provide health insurance for her 15-year-old daughter.

So she called Jackie Johnson, a health access worker at Saint John's Medical Center.

"I saw a flier about it and called," Austin said. "And it was very easy to get signed up. Now that I have done it, I'm letting people know that might need it -- really anybody I talk to."

Johnson has helped sign up Austin and hundreds of others who are eligible for free or low-cost health insurance for the state's children.

"I think there are a lot of people who have no idea that they qualify for the program," Johnson said. "When we looked at data, we found that there were many kids that were uninsured or underinsured. And a lot of families have no idea this option is available to them. Children are going without medical care or attention because families don't know how to get on Hoosier Healthwise. We are getting that message out there that there are options."

The health access workers at Saint John's do more than just sign families up with Hoosier Healthwise. They help patients find a doctor; apply for public assistance like Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and Social Security disability; they connect them with other resources in the community and provide prescription assistance.

But Johnson is working as part of the Healthy Kids Initiative specifically seeking out applicants for Hoosier Healthwise. She's going to programs throughout the county to let parents know that their children can be insured at no or a very low cost if they qualify. There are income brackets that families fall in for coverage.

For example, a family of four earning $2,582 a month would qualify for a program that covers all of the children's medical and dental costs at no cost to them. A family of four earning $3,442 a month would qualify for a low-cost plan with premiums between $30 and $50 a month.

Johnson and other health access workers help the families fill out the application and ensures that everything is followed up properly.

Austin said she took her daughter to get immunizations before she had the coverage and received a $400 bill that she was responsible for paying.

"I was shocked," she said. "But I had to have it done regardless. I knew I needed some help. After we got the coverage, she had a dental checkup. Before we had to pay $30 up front. When I told them she had Hoosier Healthwise they told me I didn't have to pay anything. That was a big help. Every little bit helps."

Sister Kathleen Reilly, CSC, vice president for Mission Integration at Saint John's, said access to health care is a major issue in the community.

"Children without adequate health insurance can't learn adequately," Reilly said. "If children don't have good nutrition, aren't up on their immunizations and don't see a doctor on occasion to assess normal development, that child will not be healthy. If that child is not healthy, they will be disaffected in school, and they will end up dropping out."

She pointed out that Anderson High School has a high dropout rate and that she hopes the program will have an effect on that.

"We want to meet as many parents as we can to see if any of them are eligible for the benefits," Reilly said. "Health care is costly and many can't afford it on their own. If they are eligible we want to make sure they get signed up."

The hospital is working to try to build a relationship with the area's schools to get access to as many parents as possible.

For more information about the Hoosier Healthwise program, call Johnson at 646-8653.

Contact Abbey Doyle, 640-4805, abbey.doyle@heraldbulletin.com.