Advocacy Tools: Guides

• Screening for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Eligibility is intended as a reference to help determine whether someone may qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage. Each question includes federal and state-specific information. (Families USA, originally published in 2004, updated June 2008)
  
  
• Confronting Disparities while Reforming Health Care: A Look at Massachusetts examines how state advocates were able to build on expansion efforts and address the host of issues that affect disparities in health and health care. Includes an extensive discussion of lessons that can be learned from the Massachusetts experience. (Families USA, June 2007)
  
  
• Best Practices: How States Can Reduce the Burden of the Citizenship Documentation Requirement reports on the results of a nationwide survey regarding how states are implementing the DRA. (Families USA, May 2007)
  
  
• Navigating the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage Program: A Guide for People with Disabilities, Benefits Counselors, Disability Organizations and Others on Ensuring Adequate and Appropriate Access to Prescription Drugs is designed to help people with disabilities maximize their Medicare Part D drug coverage. (United Cerebral Palsy, June 2006)
  
  
• Smart Links allows students, faculty, and researchers to easily investigate health policy issues by providing one-click access to “pre-queried” searches from multiple search engines on a range of health policy topics. The results appear in a one-page, easy-to-read format and cover peer-reviewed research, policy analysis, government documents, and news reports. (KaiserEDU.org, May 2006)
  
  
• Talking about Medicare: Your Guide to Understanding the Program is designed to help beneficiaries and their families think through basic health care issues. It also provides information on how the Part D drug program works, how to choose a drug plan that meets beneficiary needs, and how low-income enrollees can get additional help with drug costs. (Kaiser Family Foundation, April 2006)
  
  
• Working with the Faith Community: Reflections from a National Faith Leader This tool for advocates identifies several tips and practical strategies for engaging and working with the faith community around health care issues. Drawing from her work with congregations that represent communities of color, Barbara Baylor, Minister for Health and Wellness at the national office for the United Church of Christ, reflects on how to engage the faith community as an effective way to improve health care. (March 2006)
  
   
• This resource center on Low-Income Working Families provides a foundation for better understanding the dynamics of the working families who often lead a precarious existence. It provides basis statistics, as well as research on employment, income and expenses, and immigrant families. Forthcoming research will address unemployment, unemployment insurance, child care, and housing assistance. (The Urban Institute, January 2006)
  
  
• Navigating Medicare and Medicaid, 2005: A Resource Guide for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates 
  This guide explains the critical role Medicaid and Medicare play in the lives of people with disabilities - a primer for people who are completely unfamiliar with Medicare and/or Medicaid. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2005)
  
  
• Keeping Medicare and Medicaid When You Work, 2005: A Resource Guide for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates 
  The program rules for Medicare and Medicaid with regard to work are complex. Recently, Congress has enacted additional legislation to remove more of the disincentives to working and to continuing to receive health care coverage through these two programs. This guide explains many of the complex issues and policies that can be used to help people with disabilities keep their health coverage and seek employment. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2005)
  
  
• From Concept to Operation: A Guide to Developing Assistance Programs for Health Care Consumers 
  Based on the Health Rights Hotline of Sacramento, California, this guide provides a framework and specific steps that organizations may take to set up a consumer assistance program. Topics covered include program design, staffing and training, outreach, collecting and analyzing data, program evaluation, and financing. (January 2003)
  
  
• Designing a Consumer Health Assistance Program
  As health care becomes more complex, many states and localities are developing consumer health assistance programs to meet the needs of consumers within their jurisdictions. This guide reviews some key considerations to keep in mind when designing such programs. 24 pp. $15.00. (June 2001)
  
  
• A Guide to Monitoring Medicaid Managed Care
  This guide will help community organizations determine how well managed care plans are serving Medicaid beneficiaries. Provides the how-tos of monitoring projects, from simple "do-it-yourself" efforts to the gathering and analysis of data from many sources. 84 pp. $20.00. (September 2000)
  
  
• Monitoring Medicare HMOs: A Guide to Collecting and Interpreting Available Data
  Aimed at groups working with Medicare beneficiaries, this 86-page guide provides step-by-step instructions for gathering and making sense of Medicare HMO data from federal agencies, state governments, and other sources. Parts of the guide will be useful to those interested in Medicaid and/or commercial HMOs. 86 pp. $15.00. (May 1998)
  
  
• A Guide to Access to Providers in Medicaid Managed Care
  This 62-page guide examines how managed care has affected Medicaid beneficiaries' access to primary care physicians and specialists, including "traditional Medicaid providers." Explores problems in access to care, explains access requirements in federal law, and gives suggestions for steps advocates can take to help assure provider availability. Features tables of provider access requirements in state Medicaid managed care contracts. $20.00. (April 1998)
  
  
• A Guide to Meeting the Needs of People with Chronic and Disabling Conditions in Medicaid Managed Care
  This 44-page guide, written by National Health Law Program and Families USA, examines issues confronting states as they move toward mandating managed care for people with chronic and disabling conditions. The guide discusses problems experienced when either populations or services are "carved out," looks at steps states have taken to ensure quality care, and provides advocates with information about where to make their voices heard. $20.00. Fact sheet also available. Free (January 1998)
  
  
• A Guide to Complaints, Grievances, and Hearings Under Medicaid Managed Care
  This 43-page guide, written by National Health Law Program and Families USA, provides an overview of Medicaid managed care enrollees' legal rights, common problems that prevent beneficiaries from receiving an impartial review, examples of what states have done to protect the rights of beneficiaries, and suggestions for ways advocates can help ensure an adequate complaint process is in place. $20.00. Fact sheet also available. Free. (January 1998)
  
  
• A Guide to Cost-Sharing and Low-Income People
  This 40-page guide addresses the imposition of cost-sharing (co-payments, de­ductibles, premiums) in both the Medicaid program and the new State Children's Health Insurance Program. Current legal requirements are presented and research on the effects of cost-sharing is summarized. $20.00. Fact sheet also available. Free. (October 1997)
  
  
• A Preliminary Guide to Expansion of Children's Health Coverage
  This 52-page guide provides a summary of the new children's health initiative enacted as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and discusses key decisions facing the states as they implement the new program. Lays out the pros and cons of Medicaid and of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Includes an index to the new law and a chart of state funding allocations. $15.00. (September 1997)
  
  
• A Guide to Marketing and Enrollment In Medicaid Managed Care
  This guide reviews common problems experienced when states move their Medicaid populations into managed care and discusses solutions to those problems. Includes a chart comparing provisions of various state RFPs used to solicit enrollment brokers. 34 pp. $20.00. Fact sheet also available. Free. (June 1997)
  
  
• Making Radio Work for You: An Advocates Guide on How to Use Radio Actualities and Talk Radio to Move Your Agenda Forward
  This report gives step-by-step instructions for developing and placing pre-recorded radio news stories. It also teaches advocates how to use talk radio to convey our message. 31 pp. $5.00 (October 1996)

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