Covering our whole community

Ensuring the Affordable Care Act Reaches

Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Auburn
November 2013

Prepared by University of Washington CommunityOriented Public Health Practice Masters of Public

Health Program Candidates: Anne Althauser,
Tara Bostock, Jennifer Hagedorn, Ariel Hart, Ross
Howell, Caitlin Hoxsey, Sigolne Ortega, Sarah
Mitchel, April Wilson

Table of Contents
Background/2
The Affordable Care Act
and Homeless Youth

The Role of Auburn

Youth Resources

Possible Barriers
to Enrollment

Methods/3
Limitations

Findings/4
Recommendations/6
Auburn Youth Resources Staff

Youth Experiencing Homeless

Auburn Community

Conclusion/9
References/10
Appendix I/11
Appendix II/12
Upcoming Enrollment Events/13
Organizations Helping with Enrollment/14

Executive Summary
Homeless youth have many unique health concerns
and would benefit greatly from having a stable source
of health coverage and care. With the passage of
the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most young adults
experiencing homelessness will be eligible for free
or low-cost health care coverage. Auburn Youth
Resources (AYR) engaged the University of Washington
Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program to
investigate best practices to assist youth in obtaining this
coverage.
Students conducted a literature review, community
assessments, stakeholder analyses, and interviews with
clients and community partners to understand the
following:
Interaction between health and homelessness
Resources available for the homeless youth
population
Perceptions that homeless youth have regarding
health, health care, and insurance

Our findings indicated that most youth were vaguely

aware of the ACA, but did not fully understand how
it would affect them. Many considered themselves too
healthy to need health insurance or health care, but
noted that if it was free they would consider enrolling.
However, they were distrustful of providing personal
information to a stranger to enroll in services.
Our recommendations for Auburn Youth Resources
focus on outreach and education around the new
coverage options available through the Affordable
Care Act. We evaluated what services Auburn Youth
Resources provides and how they can be utilized to
encourage homeless youth to enroll in expanded health
coverage from Apple Health (Washingtons Medicaid
program) or through the newly created private insurance
marketplace, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.
In our recommendations, we address the barriers to
health coverage that still remain and lay out next steps
for Auburn Youth Resources.

Strategies for enrolling young adults in health care

coverage

Background
The number of homeless youth and young adults in
Washington State continues to rise. In King County
alone, it is estimated that 5,000 to 10,000 children
will experience homelessness each year.(1) In Auburn
specifically, young adults seem to have few resources
to dedicate to health care costs. Over 800 young adults
could not see a doctor more than once in the past year
due to cost, and the mean income of homeless youth
and young adults at the time of reporting was $196 per
month.(2)
This is especially problematic as homeless youth face
numerous intersecting and overlapping issues when
it comes to their health. They experience the chronic
stress of securing food and shelter almost daily, and
are exposed to conditions that put them at higher risk
for developing mental and physical illnesses. In general,
they report high rates of verbal, emotional, physical,
and sexual abuse prior to becoming homeless. Their
home-life history and daily stressors interact, leading
to higher risks of a variety of illnesses, such as sexually
transmitted infections, diabetes, and hepatitis, as well as
mental illnesses, substance abuse issues, and violence
and injuries.(3,4,5,6) Losing their connection with
their parents, guardians, or caregivers reduces available
resources that they can rely on when they do have health
issues.
It follows that homeless youth face many barriers
to receiving the health care necessary to prevent
and control health conditions.They might not have
insurance and may lack knowledge about programs they
are eligible for or illnesses that they may be facing. There
are also structural factors, such as lack of transportation,
mailing address, identification, or needing parental
consent to make an appointment, which affect their
ability to obtain care.(3, 7) They may also resist seeing

the doctor due to lack of trust in adult figures, or to

avoid being discriminated against. Not being able to get
care puts homeless youth at serious risk for undiagnosed
or untreated health issues.(3, 7) Herein lies the gap that
our report seeks to help Auburn Youth Resources fill.
Ensuring access to health care through increased health
coverage and knowledge of available coverage options
will help this community achieve and maintain good
health.(7)

The Affordable Care Act and

Homeless Youth

The Affordable Care Act expanded the Medicaid program

to cover adults without children and raised income
eligibility to 138% of the federal poverty level ($15,865
a year for an individual in 2013).(9) Now, nearly all
homeless young adults will be able to access health care
services through Medicaid.(9) Many of the services salient
to this population fall under Medicaids Benchmark
Benefits, including primary care appointments, diagnostic
tests, hospital visits, and surgical procedures. Additionally,
many behavioral and mental health services, substance
abuse treatments, prescription drugs, wellness and rehab
services are covered under Medicaid.(9) Homeless youth
who enroll in Medicaid will be able to access services in
a more timely fashion, with wait times shortening from a
matter of months to a matter of weeks.
If youth have an income higher than 138% of the
federal poverty level, they are likely eligible to purchase
coverage in the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.
In this insurance marketplace, they select from a variety
of private plans and will receive subsidies to pay for
coveragethe size of the subsidy will depend on
their income. Under the age of 30, they can purchase
catastrophic coverage, which are lower cost plans, but
cover fewer services.(10)

Young adults are also eligible for coverage under their

parents or guardians health insurance plan until they are
26. This may not be a viable option for many youth, but
in families that are undergoing reunification or for youth
who are still connected to their parents or caregivers,
this may be a possibility.(11)Young adults most affected
by the ACAs changes to eligibility criteria would be
those age 18-25, so this segment of the homeless youth
population is the focus of our research.

The Role of Auburn Youth

Resources

Auburn Youth Resources (AYR) provides a multitude

of support services to underprivileged children, youth
and young adults (YYA), and families, serving more than
12,000 people annually living in South King County
and North Pierce County. AYR has a strong foothold in
the community of at-risk youth and youth experiencing
homelessness. The organization provides counseling and
substance abuse services, outreach, and runs the Arcadia
Youth Center (AYC), which houses GED classes and is
designated as a SafePlacewhere youth in crisis can get
immediate help. They have invested in the community
to ensure that every young person has the opportunity
to reach their full potential and they use proven-practice

services to make this goal a reality. (8) They are therefore

perfectly suited to reach the homeless youth population
with outreach and education about health coverage
under the Affordable Care Act and how to enroll in it.
In this report, we will use the term campus to include
all AYR service locations and surrounding resources,
such as the Auburn Public Library and Arcadia Youth
Center.

Possible Barriers to Enrollment

There are some practical issues with Medicaid and

Washington Health Benefit Exchange enrollment
that homeless individuals face. Enrollment requires
individuals to provide stable contact information.
(12) The application also requires a Social Security
number, which many do not have at their disposal. In
addition, homeless youth may lack the literacy, medical
knowledge, and language to effectively navigate
enrollment and the health care system in general.
Along with a general distrust and disengagement
with the medical system, there are real interpersonal
challenges to accessing care for homeless individuals.
(12) Enrolling YYA in coverage newly provided by the
ACA will remove the obstacle of insurance, but will
not eradicate all barriers to accessing care.

Methods
To provide targeted, place-based recommendations
for Auburn Youth Resources, we utilized a variety of
research methodologies. Students conducted windshield
surveys of Auburn, identified potential stakeholders,
and conducted interviews to assess the unique
barriers to ACA enrollment. We visited Auburn on
multiple occasions and at various times to conduct the
observations. These surveys were employed to gauge the
accessibility and distribution of social, economic, and
cultural resources. While we were primarily concerned
with the location of health services in the area, quality
of housing and transportation were also of interest.
Additionally, these experiences served to familiarize us
with the culture and character of Auburn.
Information gathered from these surveys helped us
identify potential community stakeholders in AYRs
enrollment efforts. Stakeholders with the highest level
of interest in this endeavor included: community health

centers, libraries, and public health offices located in

South King County. Within the AYR organization,
parties with a vested interest in the enrollment process
included case managers, staff, and clients.
To assess individual concerns regarding the ACA and
enrollment, we crafted broad interview questions for
these stakeholder groups (see Appendix I). While
questions were tailored based on the audience, common
themes included concerns regarding enrollment in new
coverage options, perceptions about health care in
general, and previously successful outreach strategies.
Questions were modified for young adults to focus on
their existing assets and to encourage open dialogue.
Interviews were conducted by email, in person, and
over the phone. The majority of interviews with staff
and clients of Arcadia Youth Center and Auburn Youth
Resources took place in person.

Limitations

The restricted time frame for completing our research

was the major limitation in our process. The distance
between Auburn and the University of Washington
restricted the amount of time that we were able to
spend working in the area. As a consequence, indepth qualitative research and follow-up with various
stakeholders was extremely limited. Logistics prohibited
our ability to conduct formal focus groups with staff
and young adults as we would have liked.
While we were able to be present at Arcadia Youth
Center on multiple occasions, there were few
opportunities to interact with youth in our target age
range of 18-25. In fact, most of the youth we met with

at the library and the drop-in center were under the age
of 17. Thus, we had to base our understanding of young
adult perceptions and opinions on the few responses
we were able to receive, and because of this, we lack
a thorough understanding of the health issues young
adults are concerned about and value.
Additionally, there is a lack of information available
regarding health coverage in the AYR-specific
community. To the best of our knowledge, there is no
current data on the numbers of youth experiencing
homelessness in Auburn and South King County,
and how many of these youth may still have medical
coverage under their parents or guardians.

Findings
In our interviews, observations, and conversations with
stakeholders, we were able to identify three common
themes surrounding health coverage and the Affordable
Care Act:
1 Community members are not well informed about

the Affordable Care Act

2 Youth are reluctant to seek care or health coverage
3 Existing resources in the Auburn community can

support efforts around health coverage enrollment.

Community members are not well informed
about the Affordable Care Act. We found that
many members of the community, including youth and
AYR staff, have limited knowledge about the Affordable
Care Act and the benefits of health care coverage.
There exists a substantial amount of misinformation
and conflicting media coverage of the ACA. Youth
in particular are more concerned with meeting their
everyday survival needs and lack cultural familiarity with
health insurance systems.(13) Many were unsure of the
methods available to enroll in health insurance or why
health care coverage was necessary in the first place.
AYR staff wanted more information on the changes in
coverage resulting from the Affordable Care Act, and how
they could relay this information to young adults in the
community.
4

Discussions with youth and young adults in Auburn

supported the research indicating youths high level of
distrust in the government and government systems.
(12) Many young adults are distrustful of the health
care system itself and of President Obama; during
our interviews, YYA reacted adversely to mentions of
Obamacare, but not Affordable Care Act. Many
young adults have been enrolled in programs through
DSHS in the past and were more receptive to enrolling
in health care when the connection between DSHS and
Medicaid was heavily emphasized.
We spoke to a young adult who suggested a Facebook
page as a way that he would like to receive information.
Youth also indicated that business cards were a good
way to connect them to people or services as they felt
personally connected to the person providing the card.
Youth are reluctant to seek care and health
coverage. Many of the young males we interviewed
had a young invincible mentality regarding health
care, believing that they will not become ill or injured
and therefore do not need a doctor. They believed they
were too healthy for health care coverage and implied
that paying for health care seemed useless because they
were not sick. One young adult explained the only reason
he has health insurance is because he has children. He
believes health insurance is only necessary because he

needs to be around for the sake of his children. He said

several of his friends tried to sign up online for health
insurance, but were unable to complete the process for
various reasons. Beyond this, however, we observed
people experiencing homelessness of varying ages who
do not have health care and take pride in the perceived
self-sufficiency and strength of not needing to use it.
Another young adult explained he hasnt had health
insurance since he aged off of DSHS (many youth
referred to their Medicaid coverage as DSHS because
this is the entity through which it is provided) at the age
of 19. He was unaware of the health care expansion, but
was interested in having medical coverage. As of now, he
explained, he only goes to the hospital if he feels like
he is dying. This same man voiced that young adults,
although adults, would not take it upon themselves to
enroll in health insurance unless someone was holding
their hand and guiding them through each step of the
process.
Youth voiced various preferred methods of enrolling
in the ACA during interviews. One male preferred the
mail-in option or over the phone because he wanted to
maintain control over who saw his personal information.
Others preferred the idea of In-Person Assisters (IPAs)
to aid in enrolling online.

Existing resources in the Auburn community

can support efforts around health coverage
enrollment. AYR has many resources available to
youth, from GED prep, to transitional housing, and help
with substance abuse. Teen Feed runs a meal program
at Arcadia Youth Center on Friday nights and was
recently announced as a community outreach partner
of the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange.
(13) Teen Feed also allows youth to use their address
for documentation, which is essential to successful
enrollment in health coverage. Outside of AYR facilities,
we found that youth use the Auburn Public Library and
Les Gove Park frequently. Knowledge of these available
facilities helped guide us in our recommendations of
enrollment possibilities.
Many of the youth we met in Auburn had developed
relationships with several key staff members at AYR and
AYC. They characterized these relationships as having
a higher level of trust than they had in other adults.
They would feel comfortable providing information to
AYR staff or allowing AYR staff to assist them in the
enrollment process.

Recommendations
Our recommendations for action items address the
needs we assessed among AYR staff, youth experiencing
homelessness, and community partners.

Auburn Youth Resources Staff

AYR staff can play a unique role in the enrollment of

young adults experiencing homelessness in Medicaid
and the health insurance marketplace. As demonstrated
in the results section, AYR staff have significant access
to these youth and would also be trusted, effective
educators about the changes to health care coverage
under the Affordable Care Act.
Objectives
To be a valuable enrollment resource for youth
experiencing homelessness, staff need further education
about the Affordable Care Act. We suggest AYR provide
a basic overview of the ACA and its implications for
homeless young adults for staff members onsite. AYR
staff need hands-on experience with the Washington
Health Plan Finder enrollment methods to make them
better advocates in troubleshooting the problems that
young adults may experience during sign-up. AYR
staff understand the unique position of YYA around
interaction with government systems and should leverage
this knowledge in conversations around the ACA.
Specific Strategies
Spend a small part of several staff meetings on an
ACA overview.
Staff meetings are already on everyones calendars, so
no additional time needs to be taken from regular job
responsibilities.
Meeting time dedicated to the ACA should be used
for general education. A video created by Public
Health - Seattle & King County and the King County
Department of Community and Human Services
(See Appendix II) could be used as part of this
education.
Questions could be collected at the end of a first
meeting and a follow-up FAQ session could be
utilized to address these.

The finale of this series could be a brainstorming

session about the benefits and barriers that AYR
staff believe their clients will face and how these can
be addressed.
Encourage all staff to enroll online or on the phone
to test it.
By attempting to complete the enrollment process
themselves, staff can become familiar with the
technological challenges associated with these
enrollment portals.
Not only does going through the process build
empathy, but it will help staff understand why
individuals might need support and encouragement
in order to complete the process of sign-up.
Disseminate this report and list of further resources
to staff. This report is designed to support staff
members with the resources that will be helpful in
increasing ACA enrollment among their clients. Staff
can refer to sections of the report, the associated
resources located within the appendix, or the report in
its entirety.

Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Based on research of best practices and conversations

with youth, successful outreach and education must
be mindful of the unique challenges presented by this
population. Many young adults do not believe that they
will need health care, leaving them reluctant to invest
time and energy to sign up. It is especially important
for young adults experiencing homelessness to have
access to medical care because of their exposure to
harsher environmental conditions, risks associated with
higher drug use than the general population, and greater
prevalence of mental illness.(3, 6, 14)
Objectives
Youth must understand how health care specifically
addresses their needs and that those services would be
within their reach if they enrolled. A survey or focus
group should be conducted to identify the health
services that young adults would most value and most

likely access if they had the opportunity. Using this

information, AYR can create materials, such as posters,
brochures, and flyers, and utilize social media to reach
their youth population and encourage them to enroll.
These materials (in addition to the education that was
discussed in the Staff Recommendation Section) should
be available for anyone who is in contact with young
adults through AYR, including partner stakeholders.
In addition, enrollment events that partners and
stakeholders are already organizing should be leveraged
by AYR to reduce duplication of efforts, and even
minimal AYR staff time at these events would most
likely increase enrollment.
Specific Strategies
Create youth-targeted education materials. All
materials should be created with the preferences of
young adults in mind. They like to receive information
in different ways than adults do. When utilizing the
methods we describe below, it is vital to keep the issues
outlined in the introduction of this section in mind.
Use social media to distribute information. Youth familiar
with the ACA could create a community Facebook
page. AYR staff might post on the AYR Facebook
page about educational sessions and enrollment
events.
Design educational posters that could be put up around the
AYR campus. Currently, there is a graphic-novelstyle poster in AYC about SafePlaces. This seems
like a good model for a poster about the new health
coverage options, and the youth and young adults of
AYR could participate in the design of it.
Pass out business cards containing enrollment information.
Staff working with youth identified business cards
as a way to disseminate information that was more
personal and valued by YYA. These cards provide a
convenient and easy way to access information about
enrollment through websites or hotlines.

Leverage staff relationships with youth and the

events of local partner agencies to disseminate
information.
Close relationships can be used as a bridge between
skeptical or distrustful young adults and the health
insurance that they need.
AYR can publicize and attend enrollment events.
Marketing by word-of-mouth to clients is a proven
effective method. Sending AYR staff members to
attend enrollment events in the community ensures
the presence of a trusted individual, which might
encourage young adults to attend and help them to
feel more comfortable enrolling.
Utilize AYR resources to minimize the barriers that
youth face in enrollment.
Set up a system to provide an address for youth to use for
enrollment. TeenFeed has a solution and may be a good
resource. Signing up for coverage requires a social
security number, and youth who do not have access
to their cards will need an address to get their birth
certificates. This problem of a permanent address
may be ongoing even after a young adult experiencing
homelessness is insured because of the annual recertification process.(15, 16) Additionally, the State
Health Care Authority sends information to be
reviewed annually by the insured individual to make
sure it is current. If they do not receive any changes
then it will automatically carry over. If the mail is
returned undeliverable (as would be likely with a
more transient population), there is a possibility that
coverage may be cancelled.(16)
Allow youth to use AYR phones and computers for enrollment.
Many youth and young adults expressed interest in
using either the website or the hotline to enroll in
Medicaid or the marketplace. In order for this option
to be as accessible as possible, it would be helpful if
AYR advertised on any brochures, posters, or social
media that they have these resources available.

Community

Word-of-mouth is one of the most common ways

young adults receive trusted information. Minimizing
confusion about the Affordable Care Act in the broader
community will ensure that the information conveyed
person-to-person is accurate and aligned. To build a
consistent message regarding the ACA, communities in
which AYR youth live should receive targeted education
and outreach. Though these objectives may lie outside
of AYRs customary scope, particular strategies can be
employed to minimize workload required.
Objectives
There are many resources available that could be
utilized to enroll young adults in Medicaid or the health
insurance marketplace. To ensure that community
stakeholders are maximizing efforts and are sharing
relevant information and resources, there must be
sustained communication. This can be done in several
forms and would ideally utilize networks that are already
in place.

Specific Strategies
Create or utilize a listserv of organizations that
serve overlapping populations to share information
about what is being done to enroll youth in ACA
coverage. Email listservs are a low-cost, effective
means to disseminate information about young adult
enrollment in ACA coverage. AYR could utilize an
existing electronic chain of communication to inform
community members about events and supports, or
develop one for this purpose.
Coordinate a community roundtable to discuss
what various stakeholders are doing, locate
resources to share, and identify gaps. Bringing
together all of the community stakeholders would be the
most effective way to identify resources, opportunities
for collaboration, and gaps that are currently present.
It would also be possible to have AYR request another
community stakeholder (perhaps a faith group) to
coordinate this effort, due to the low capacity for event
planning of this type within the organization.

Conclusion
In the coming months, Auburn Youth Resources
has the potential to help many of their clients obtain
health insurance to meet their unique needs. Yet, the
current lack of knowledge regarding health insurance
enrollment means that staff, community members, and
youth alike are ill-equipped to achieve this goal. Before
beginning the enrollment process, staff must address
misconceptions young adults have regarding health and
health care. By discussing changes to coverage under the
Affordable Care Act, AYR staff have the opportunity
to encourage youth to help youth get health coverage
in a supportive and trusting environment. Fortunately,
many community resources are already in place that can
be leveraged to support AYR in their enrollment efforts.
With coverage starting January 1, the time to start these
vital efforts is now.

References
1. United Way of King County 2012 Community Assessment Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and Young Adults. 2012 p. 13.
2. Way EF. King County City Health Profile Auburn. 2012
3. Edidin JP, Ganim Z, Hunter SJ, Karnik NS. The mental and physical health of homeless youth: a literature review. Child
Psychiatry Hum. Dev. [Internet]. 2012 Jun [cited 2013 Nov 17];43(3):35475. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/22120422
4. Hwang SW. Homelessness and health. Can. Med. Assoc. J. [Internet]. 2001 Jan 23 [cited 2013 Nov 17];164(2):22933.
Available from: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/164/2/229.short
5. Greene JM, Ennett ST, Ringwalt CL. Prevalence and correlates of survival sex among runaway and homeless youth. Am.
J. Public Health [Internet]. 1999 Sep [cited 2013 Nov 17];89(9):14069. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/
articlerender.fcgi?artid=1508758&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
6. Greene JM, Ennett ST, Ringwalt CL. Substance use among runaway and homeless youth in three national samples. Am. J.
Public Health [Internet]. 1997 Feb [cited 2013 Nov 17];87(2):22935. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/
articlerender.fcgi?artid=1380799&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
7. Ensign J, Gittelsohn J. Health and access to care: perspectives of homeless youth in Baltimore City, U.S.A. Soc. Sci. Med.
[Internet]. 1998 Dec [cited 2013 Nov 17];47(12):208799. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10075249
8. Auburn Youth Resources Our Services [Internet]. Available from: http://www.ayr4kids.org/
9. The Affordable Care Acts Role in Preventing and Ending Homelessness | Fact Sheets [Internet]. Available from: http://
usich.gov/index.php/usich_resources/fact_sheets/ACA/
10. Health Insurance for Young Adults, Health Insurance Marketplace | HealthCare.gov [Internet]. Available from: https://
www.healthcare.gov/young-adults/
11. Making-Coverage-More-Affordable.pdf [Internet]. Available from: http://familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/health-reform/
Making-Coverage-More-Affordable.pdf
12. Medicaid Coverage and Care for the Homeless Population: Key Lessons to Consider for the 2014 Medicaid Expansion Report - 8355.pdf [Internet]. Available from: http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8355.pdf
13. Jensen, T. (Personal communication, November 17, 2013)
14. National Runaway Safeline. National Runaway Safelines 2013 Reporters Source Book on Runaway and Homeless Youth.
2013.
15. Kaiser Family Foundation. Medicaid and the Uninsured [Internet]. 2012. Available from: http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.
wordpress.com/2013/01/8355.pdf
16. Yakima Neighborhood Health Services [Internet] Available from http://www.ynhs.org/

10

Appendix I
Questions for Case Managers
How many case managers at AYR are certified IPAs?
What is the role of a case manager in enrolling youth in the ACA?
Where are youth currently accessing healthcare?
What are successful methods of engaging homeless youth?
Do the youth have access to technology?
Have you enrolled anyone under the age of 18? If so, what is this process like?
Do you have any concerns when signing youth up for exchange plans vs. Medicaid?
Questions for Youth
Have you heard of the ACA?
What do you know about the ACA?
Do you know anyone who is enrolled in the ACA?
Do you currently have health care?
What are your own health goals?
What services do you use and where are they located?
Would you be comfortable being a peer to peer enroller?
What have your experiences been in enrolling in the ACA?
Have you enrolled in health insurance prior to the ACA?
What would be your best way to enroll? In person, over the phone etc.
Questions for Stakeholders
Are you providing any public services for ACA enrollment?
If yes, when and where? If no, are you considering or would you be interested in providing services next year?
What is your approach to homeless people? Do you have any strategies or resources in place? What have been
your success and barriers in addressing homeless people?

11

Appendix II
Educational Resources

Organization

Contact Information

Videos
Health Care Reform in King
County: An Overview

Public Health Seattle-King

County

http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=YdlTcacTuZw

The Youtoons Get Ready for

Obamcare: Health Insurance
Changes

The Henry J. Kaiser Family

Foundation

http://kff.org/health-reform/
video/youtoons-obamacare-video/

Washington Health Plan Finder:

Health Insurance Education

Washington Health Plan

Finder

http://washingtonhealthplanfinder.
org/education-center/

The Henry J. Kaiser Family

Foundation

http://kff.org/medicaid/report/
medicaid-coverage-and-care-for-thehomeless/

U.S. Interagency Council on

Homelessness

http://usich.gov/resources/
uploads/asset_library/Medicaid_
Enrollment_Guide_for_Engaging_
People_Experiencing_Homelessness.
pdf

Health Benefit Exchange

Overview: Fact Sheet

Washington Health Plan

Finder

http://www.wahbexchange.org/
files/1813/8023/1006/Washington_
Healthplanfinder_Overview_Fact_
Sheet_Sept_2013.pdf

Individuals and Families: Fact

Sheet

Washington Health Plan

Finder

http://www.wahbexchange.org/
files/5713/8023/0996/Washington_
Healthplanfinder_Individuals_and_
Families_Fact_Sheet_Sept_2013.pdf

Reports
Medicaid Coverage and Care for
the Homeless Population

Medicaid Enrollment: Your Guide

for Engaging People Experiencing
Homelessness

12

Upcoming Enrollment Events

Date

Time

Location

November 19

4 pm - 7 pm

HealthPoint Federal Way

November 19

4 pm - 7 pm

HealthPoint Kent

November 23

10 am - 2 pm

HealthPoint Auburn

November 25

4 pm - 7 pm

Health Point Kent

November 27

5 pm - 8 pm

Federal Way Library

December 7

1 pm - 5 pm

Kent Library

December 10

10 am - 2 pm

Federal Way Library

December 12

1 pm - 5 pm

Enumclaw Library

December 14

Noon - 5 pm

Muckleshoot Library

December 14

1 pm - 5 pm

Kent Library

December 18

5 pm - 8 pm

Federal Way Library

13

Organizations wOrking on Enrollment

A huge on-the-ground campaign, involving 23
community organizations, will play a central role in
getting King County residents enrolled in affordable
health care insurance. Representatives from each
partnering group will be trained as in-person assisters
specially certified community members who can help
people enroll in the new insurance exchange.
The 23 organizations include:
NeighborCare Health (https://www.neighborcare.
org/) Provides comprehensive health care to families
and individuals who have difficulty accessing care;
respond with sensitivity to the needs of our culturally
diverse patients; and advocate and work with others to
improve the overall health status of the communities we
serve.
SeaMar Community Health Centers (http://www.
seamar.org/) Provides quality, comprehensive health,
human and housing services to diverse communities,
specializing in serving the Latino community.
Within Reach (http://www.withinreachwa.org/) Serves
as the foremost catalyst for improvements in maternal,
child and family health. We remove the barriers and
make the connections that all Washington families need
to be healthy.
YWCA (http://www.ywcaworks.org/) Advances the
quality of life for women of all ages, races and faiths,
and their families. In support of our mission, the YWCA
provides services to meet critical needs, promote selfsufficiency, reduce violence, eliminate racism and achieve
equal opportunities for all people.
Country Doctor Community Health Centers
(http://www.countrydoctor.org/) Improves the health
of our community by providing high quality, culturally
appropriate primary health care that addresses the needs
of people regardless of their ability to pay.
HealthPoint (http://www.healthpointchc.org/)
Strengthens communities and improve peoples health
by delivering quality health care services, breaking down
barriers, and providing access to all.
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International Community Health Services (http://

www.ichs.com/) Non-profit community health center
that provides affordable, culturally competent health
services to medically underserved people in King
County.
Global to Local (http://globaltolocal.org/) Aims to
improve health in under-resourced communities locally,
and to further learning/dialogue and disseminate these
learnings.
Center for Multicultural Health (http://www.multiculturalhealth.org/) Promotes the health and well-being
of low income and underserved individuals including
individuals from communities of color, immigrants and
refugees, and those with Limited English Proficiency.
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (http://www.
acrs.org/) Promotes social justice and the wellbeing and
empowerment of Asian Pacific American individuals,
families and communities including immigrants,
refugees and native born by developing, providing and
advocating for innovative community-based multilingual
and multicultural services.
World Relief (http://worldrelief.org/) Helps refugees
and immigrants adjust to life in the United States and to
become self-sufficient and equipped to fully participate
in the community.
Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC)
(http://www.desc.org/) Works to end the homelessness
of vulnerable people, particularly those living with
serious mental or addictive illness. Through partnerships
and an integrated array of comprehensive services,
treatment and housing, they give people the opportunity
to reach their highest potential.
Cierra Sisters (http://www.cierrasisters.org/)
African-American breast cancer survivor and support
organization that welcomes all cancer survivors,
supporters, caregivers, family and friends.
Denise Louie (http://www.deniselouie.org/) Provides
multi-cultural early childhood education services to
children and their families.

Friends of Youth (http://www.friendsofyouth.org/)

Delivers a broad range of services to youth and their
families to improve their emotional stability and selfsufficiency.
Open Arms (http://www.openarmsps.org/) Provides
strong community-based support for women through
pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Solid Ground (http://www.solid-ground.org/Pages/
Default.aspx) Works to end poverty and undo racism
and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty.
Washington CAN (http://washingtoncan.org/
wordpress/) Works to achieve racial, social, and
economic justice in our state and nation.
Plymouth Housing Group (http://www.
plymouthhousing.org/)Works to eliminate homelessness
and address its causes by preserving, developing and
operating safe, quality, supportive housing and by
providing homeless adults with opportunities to stabilize
and improve their lives.

Valley Counseling (http://www.

valleycounselingassociates.org/) Strengthens
communities through the delivery of holistic, integrated
behavior health services that promote hope, recovery
and improved quality of life.
Gay City (https://www.gaycity.org/) Promotes wellness
in LGBT communities by providing health services,
connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and
building community.
Seattle Indian Health Board (http://www.sihb.
org/) Assists American Indians and Alaska Natives
in achieving the highest possible physical, mental,
emotional, social and spiritual well being through
the provision of culturally-appropriate services, and
advocates for Indian people, especially the most
vulnerable members of our community.

Center for Human Services (http://www.chs-nw.

org/) Strengthens the community through counseling,
education and support to children, youth, adults and
families. To accomplish this mission CHS provides
family counseling, substance abuse services, and family
support services to the community. We have offices
located in Shoreline and Bothell and serve North King
County in its entirety.

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