(continued from page 21)
Evaluation and Outcomes
The Evaluation and Outcomes Committee, headed by Dr. Craig
Blakely, Dean of the U of L School of Public Health and Information
Sciences, is working to determine measures of success of the work
of the other three committees and to collect and analyze metrics of
long and short term performance. The committee is now analyzing
enrollment data to determine trends and continuing gaps. Future
plans include conducting a survey of new enrollees on their enrollment experience, and conducting focus groups among enrollment
agencies, in-person assisters and insurance agents about what they
feel worked well in the enrollment process and what challenges
they encountered.
Kentucky, which have had high numbers of enrollments under the
Affordable Care Act. They have interviewed Louisville Metro Board
of Health Steering Committee members and will be issuing a report
on best practices. The National Association of State Health Policies
has also shown interest in the work of the Board of Health coalition.
Almost more important is that this process has built a network
of varied stakeholders and has set the stage for other local health
planning and policy development efforts.
The Evaluation and Outcomes Committee also plans to conduct
focus groups among “Young Invincibles” – adults ages 18 to 29 – and
among small business owners to inform future strategies to reach
out to those eligible to enroll under a Qualified Health Plan or a
Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).
The continuing reduction in the number of uninsured in Louisville should lead to increased numbers of people seeking preventive health screenings and timely, regular health care in a medical
home. It can help create a more proactive health delivery system
with greater care coordination. Coupled with an approach by a
local government that considers health impact at the center of all
policy decisions and a gradual change in the community culture
to one that values healthy habit, Louisville now has the potential
to become a much, much healthier community. We must continue
to work to achieve this! LM
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Kentucky and
Louisville has drawn national attention with a series of articles in
the New York Times. The Kaiser Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is doing a study of four states, including
Note: Dr. Nesbitt, a family physician, is the director of the Louisville
Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. This article continues a series that will chronicle the implementation of the Affordable
Care Act in the Greater Louisville area through 2014.
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE