Although Massachusetts currently has the highest rate of health insurance coverage in the nation, reports suggest health care consumers do not fully understand how their insurance works. Thus, the insured and uninsured populations alike need ongoing support in order to develop health insurance literacy, defined as the degree to which individuals obtain, process, and understand information about health insurance in order to make informed decisions about choosing and using their coverage, which in turn can lead to positive health outcomes. Educating consumers and giving them tools and resources are strategies that advance health insurance literacy. Since 2001, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation (the Foundation) has awarded over $5 million to community health centers and community-based organizations throughout Massachusetts, through its Connecting Consumers with Care (CCC) grant program, to conduct outreach, provide education and help consumers enroll in health insurance and access primary care. In 2015, the Foundation focused its CCC grant activities to improve health insurance literacy and engage consumers to utilize the health care system more effectively. Grantees have collected data on common measures, using adaptable data collection tools (e.g., brief client surveys), to assess changes in clients' knowledge, confidence, and/or preparedness to better navigate complex systems of coverage and care. The poster presentation will discuss: - the importance of health insurance literacy and its relevance to improving population and community health - strategies currently used to increase health insurance literacy among diverse populations, including successes and challenges - how the impact of these strategies was measured - how assessments were designed to reflect consumers' voices.

Implementing the health insurance mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in 2010, will require states to reach, educate, and successfully enroll individuals and families who have had little experience with health coverage. The uninsured are likely to require considerable individualized application and enrollment support. Consumer advocates believe there is a need for ongoing support so that the newly insured retain their coverage, navigate their way effectively through the health care system, and engage in wellness and prevention activities. As many states prepare to enroll millions of low-income uninsured Americans, the experience of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Massachusetts can inform outreach and enrollment efforts across the country.