Goals & Objectives
The goal of this project was to conduct a national research study of multicultural Medicaid enrolled and eligible individuals to better understand how they think Medicaid currently serves and could better serve them for the program as a whole, and as it relates to specific social needs: food insecurity, housing insecurity, and social isolation.
The research aimed to create a repository of data and insights about the Medicaid consumer journey that will drive improvements in health equity, policy, and advocacy.
Research
The research study included three phases, beginning with a discovery phase with a literature review of the space, as well as stakeholder interviews with Policy Advisory Group (PAG) members; a group made up of experts across Medicaid, advocacy, and policy; who weighed in throughout the process.
The study utilized a combination of qualitative focus groups and in-depth interviews and a qualitative questionnaire survey, issued online and through CACI technology. Participants for this study were recruited via social media campaigns, email marketing, and advertising using a double opt-in process. There were 3,080 participants that represented Medicaid enrolled and eligible people of color, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ from across a range of age and gender groups. The sample was not weighted or nationally representative, based on our desire to oversample, and thus amplify, minority segments of the U.S. population.
Select Key Findings
MEEs struggle to find clear information, face challenges accessing care, and report unmet social needs like food, housing costs, and loneliness—areas where they believe Medicaid could offer more support.
Download a full report detailing the findings of this research as well as key recommendations for policymakers to consider.
Agency: Sensis