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LOS ANGELES, Apr 15, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers at a California medical school say that independent agencies that help people navigate the health-care system have become indispensable.
The report by the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California appears in the April issue of the Journal of Community Health.
The group studied the Health Consumer Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides free help to low-income residents of 10 California counties. They interviewed almost 1,300 HCA users and found that three-quarters were having trouble with insurance coverage and the rest had service problems, like denial of payment for a procedure.
Almost 90 percent of those interviewed said they were able to get questions answered by the centers, and 62 percent that their problems were resolved.
About half were uninsured when they first called a center, which dropped to 31 percent within a month of the call.
"Our study shows that there is a need for assistance in navigating our complicated health care system, and the establishment of independent centers to provide that assistance is key to improving health care access for our
vulnerable populations," said Lori Miller Nascimento, the lead author.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
