What are the positive factors that are contributing to you reaching your desired result?

•  CHIP and Medicaid: Insurance for low-income families.
•  Affordable Care Act: Availabilty to receive healthcare with or without preexisting conditions for people who don't qualify for CHIP or Medicaid.
•  Common Value: Children should have insurance.
• HOPE Center: Help with prenatal healthcare. 

What are the negative factors that are restricting you from reaching your desired result?

•  People being laid off because of COVID-19: People who would have otherwise had insurance. Healthcare being tied to employment. 
•  Citizenship status: keeps families from going to receive healthcare
•  Availability of healthcare in county: Network of providers accepting CHIP and Medicaid.
•  Standards for CHIP and Medicaid are not meeting the needs of families
•  Complicated application system to apply for CHIP and Medicaid. 
• Many families are underinsured and end up paying cash for their remaining healthcare.

What populations are the most disadvantaged and what causes these disparities?

•  Citizenship status: fear of attaining healthcare
•  Low socioeconomic status families: access to healthcare
•  Low education: understanding of rights and availability of services
•  Rural residents: access to providers

Are there foreseeable factors that will affect your work over the next few months to a year?

•  COVID-19: Loss of employment leading to loss of healthcare
•  COVID-19: Doctor's office restricting in-person care, families not able to see doctors
•  Election year: potential healthcare overhaul
•  COVID-19: Families fearful to spend money on healthcare because of economic downturn

What additional research is needed to better understand the factors that influence the slope of the curve and related disparities? 

•  How will COVID-19 effect insurance going forward into 2021? 
•  School starting: how many children are treated for COVID after schools begin? How does that effect CHIP/Medicaid?
•  How many families are using CHIP, Medicaid, or ACA for their children's healthcare in our county?

Who are the partners who can help you reach your desired outcome? List partners and their roles.

•  Clinics/Doctors offices/Health Departments
•  Residents 
•  Schools and daycares
•  Non-profits that work with families
•  Pharmacies
•  Politicians
•  Early Childhood Coalition
•  Mental health providers
• Congregations

Research/Evidence-Based Practices:

•  Universal Healthcare/Medicare-for-all: Health care available to everyone for free. 
•  Free prevenative care: COVID testing, immunizations, etc.
•  Lowering costs of prescriptions.
•  Lowering cost of healthcare. 

Low Cost/No Cost Solutions:

•  Doctors taking cash pay: allows families to seek medical care without insurance
•  Transparency from healthcare system about costs. Helps families to know their costs and make informed decisions. 
•  Telehealth: expanding telehealth in our community because its more cost effective
•  Public health campaign: Advertising and educating families on CHIP, Medicaid, and ACA options for families. 

Innovative/Out-the-Box Solutions: 

•  Insurance navigators: individuals who assist patients in navigating the insurance system and advocate for patients. 
•  Care Credit: Allows families to pay for healthcare later. 
•  Medical debt: Churches or trusts help to relieve people of their medical debt. 
• Working with immigrants who are not aware of how expensive emergency room care can be.

Additional Research:

•  What will happen at the federal level with healthcare going forward?
•  Information on Care Credit--how does it work?
•  What are other states doing to enroll more children in healthcare?