While direct insurance reimbursement for a field with such variable certification seems like a faraway dream, many gains have been made to support financial autonomy in the field of community health workers. What is needed is a clear path to individual direct reimbursement such as the ICD codes used throughout other medical professions.
6 It is also worth noting that up to 40% of CHWs are volunteers, 7 and the majority of paid workers are funded through grants, 8 meaning that the valuable insights and service CWHs provide to augment the health of their communities is without a long-term financial foundation. Licensure and reimbursement models vary from state to state, with some states requiring state-standardized curriculums and offering direct reimbursement through Medicaid, 5 while others have no set financial structure or training requirements. Hired for their flexibility, adaptability, and expertise in their community, it is unsurprising that compared to other medical professionals, there is little formalized training for CHWs and no uniform way to financially support the profession. They serve a health need different from those served by hospitals and clinics-they meet people where they are and need help most, out in the community. 1,2,3 CHW work is often founded in these providers’ understanding of the community they serve, making their ability to conduct home visits, convey medical information, and connect with patients integral to their work. Whether it is providing education about chronic conditions, mother-baby visitation programs, or care coordination, patient outcomes improve with CHW involvement. While most definitely not a cure-all for this myriad of problems, community health workers (CHWs) can combat some of these ailments if systems are in place to support them sufficiently.Ĭommunity health workers are public health workers who help provide culturally appropriate care and lower barriers to patient wellbeing. Medical care as we know it upholds structural racism, classism, and sexism (to name a few), and is entrenched in a hierarchy that for so long has barred the diversity of thought, creativity, perspective, and expression that reflects the population it serves. The system also suffers from the many of the same ills, injustices, and prejudices that pervade the United States. We have astronomical costs for subpar care with patients often on the receiving end of a one-size-fits-all approach. The American health system is in shambles, and that is certainly no secret.
0 kommentar(er)
