摘要：American Indian tribal clinics hired benefits counselors to increase the number of patients with public and private insurance coverage, expand the range of health care options available to tribal members, and increase third-party revenues for tribal clinics. Benefits counselors received intensive training, technical assistance, and evaluation over a 2-year period. Six tribal clinics participated in the full training program, including follow-up, process evaluation, and outcomes reporting. Participating tribal sites experienced a 78% increase in Medicaid enrollment among pregnant women and children, compared with a 26% enrollment increase statewide during the same period. Trained benefits counselors on-site at tribal clinics can substantially increase third-party insurance coverage among patients. AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBAL clinics in Wisconsin began hiring benefits counselors in 1998 to assist uninsured patients in gaining access to public and private insurance programs. The Wisconsin Intertribal Managed Care Demonstration Project (WIM Care) provided tribal benefits counselors with intensive training, technical assistance, and evaluation. The tribal benefits counseling program showed quick and effective results. From January 1998 to October 2000, six Wisconsin tribal sites experienced a 78% increase in Healthy Start enrollments (Wisconsin’s Medicaid program for pregnant women and children). On-site trained benefits counselors at tribal clinics substantially increase the number of patients with third-party coverage. Health care options available to tribal members are thus expanded, and this in turn increases the potential for third-party revenues to tribal clinics.
