Health insurance literacy: A mixed methods study of college students |
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| Authors: | Alicia L Nobles Brett A Curtis Duc A Ngo Emily Vardell |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Systems and Information Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA;2. Department of Human Services, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA;3. Department of Student Health, Division of Student Affairs, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA;4. School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, USA |
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| Abstract: | Objective: This study examines the health insurance literacy, or the ability to use health insurance effectively, of college students. Participants: A total of 455 students from a large, public university completed an online questionnaire in November 2016. Methods: A questionnaire examined students’ knowledge of commonly encountered health insurance terms and ability to apply that knowledge to determine cost-sharing in a clinical setting. Results: The majority of students were able to correctly identify the most commonly encountered terms, but could not identify terms related to plan types and options. Eighty-eight percent of students could not determine their cost-sharing for two presented scenarios. Approximately half of the students indicated they had been confused about their health insurance plan, with one-quarter of students stopping or delaying medical care due to confusion. Conclusions: Outreach and education for students should target specific deficits in knowledge such as those identified in this study. |
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| Keywords: | Access to care decision-making health education health insurance literacy health literacy insurance |
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