Health information needs of medicaid enrollees and medically underinsured

Abstract

A convenience sample of 349 inner-city black patients attending a public health ambulatory clinic were interviewed with regard to their health information needs and level of understanding of Medicaid's fee-for-service and prepaid programs. The 264 Medicaid enrollees were most knowledgeable of benefits available under fee-for-service. The 85 persons classified as “medically underinsured” were most concerned with the costs of care and long waiting times. Both groups cited quality of care as the most important factor influencing their selection of provider. The implications of the survey findings for nurses serving medically indigent patients in ambulatory settings are discussed.