Integrating health insurance assessments into oncology care.

Abstract

253 Background: Nearly 10% of the U.S. population lacks health insurance coverage. Healthcare professionals are often asked by their patients about health insurance options. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has brought new health care options and consumer protections for people coping with cancer. Unfortunately, there is a plethora of misinformation about these changes. Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to provide patients with accurate, quality information, improving patient quality of life. Methods: The presentation will cover the implementation of the ACA at the federal and state levels and the impact of the ACA on the cancer community. Attendees will learn about new consumer protections and health insurance options, and receive concrete tools to conduct clinical assessments that address access to health insurance coverage and the subsequent impact on psychosocial needs. Results: Our surveys have found that 75% of oncology healthcare professional respondents were asked for guidance on how healthcare reform might affect their patients. However, only 7% of those surveyed felt “very comfortable” answering questions about the ACA. Therefore, there is an obvious gap between the knowledge level of healthcare professionals and what they are being asked by their patients. Oncology healthcare provider attendees will gain a better understanding of health insurance options available to their patients. Attendees will receive practical tools to answer questions and provide appropriate resources, thereby alleviating anxiety, and improving quality of life for patients. Conclusions: In order to effectively navigate patients through the cancer care continuum, oncology healthcare providers must be armed with up-to-date knowledge about health insurance options and protections, and given concrete tools for conducting clinical assessments that address a broad spectrum of psychosocial needs.