| Autor: |
Wennerstrom A; Center for Healthcare Value and Equity, School of Medicine; Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, LSU Health-New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA., Haywood CG; Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA., Smith DO; National Association of Community Health Workers, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Jindal D; Center for Community Health Alignment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA., Rush C; Community Resources, San Antonio, Texas, USA., Wilkinson GW; Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, Boston University School of Social Work, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Managed care organizations (MCOs) are increasingly engaging community health workers (CHWs) to support service delivery for their members, particularly in the realm of social determinants of health. Some states now require MCOs to offer CHW services. Although the roles and activities of CHWs working in other contexts (eg, clinics, hospitals, community-based organizations) are well established, there is sparse knowledge about how MCOs are operationalizing CHW roles and whether CHW activities differ based on whether CHWs are employed directly by MCOs or contracted through other organizations. In 2021, 2 CHW professional associations and a university partnered to conduct a national cross-sectional survey of CHWs working with MCOs. Respondents ( n = 146) represented 29 states. CHWs employed by MCOs reported receiving significantly more training and benefits from their employers than CHWs who were contracted through other organizations. MCO-based CHWs were more likely to support members with high-cost conditions and high service use, whereas contracted CHWs were more likely to engage in population-focused interventions, which may produce less immediately visible financial returns. Health plans would do well to ensure the CHWs they support, whether through contract or direct hiring, receive appropriate compensation and training, and have the freedom to engage in the full range of CHW roles, including community-level interventions. |
