Healthy Together: Supporting All Young Angelenos

Health care access

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

There are ~800,000 immigrant youth ages 18-34 living in LA County. Health care coverage expansion for low-income Californians is set to significantly benefit them, as mental health care remains a critical youth need, creating opportunities to engage them in health insurance enrollment and literacy training. Government-funded program distrust is common in immigrant communities, and the lack of resources to reach those eligible hinders access. YI employs an award-winning, proven peer-to-peer community outreach model to enroll uninsured immigrants and provide creative, compelling trainings ensuring they understand how to use services. Youth are frequently ineligible for public benefit programs. Medicaid expansion improves economic security through enhanced health coverage. Healthcare for all Angelenos is becoming an attainable reality. Peer-led mental health care initiatives are crucial for youth, positioning them as leaders in promoting health literacy and access in their communities.

As the first state to guarantee free health care for all immigrants with low-income, California pledged by 2024 an historic expansion of the state’s Medicaid program. While YI has conducted health insurance enrollment and literacy trainings since our origin fifteen years ago, our approach has been informed by young adults. With mental health as a condition for which many young adults seek support or treatment, this provides an opportunity for young adults to reach peers, educate them on health insurance, and how to use it. YI’s program provides Angelenos ages 18-34 years with trusted consumer education about their health care options and enrollment opportunities in which we address questions, i.e. what benefits constitute a ‘good’ plan?, what should buyers’ be aware of?, is everyone required to obtain health insurance?, what constitutes preventive care?, etc. YI will apply what we’ve learned from both our health care outreach and COVID vaccine projects which utilizes data (where are the uninsured?), innovative and creative messaging and direct partnerships with community programs to reach the uninsured. Our partnerships and experiences with immigrant populations lends trust and fundamental regard for our brand and resources (i.e. social media). Young people in our leadership development program learn skills in outreach, community organizing, public speaking, etc. and they, in turn, as messengers, build a community of peer advocates who educate and enroll others.

Beyond an increase in the number of insured immigrants, YI provides young Angelenos a paid learning opportunity to conduct innovative community outreach of which they built the content and tools is remarkable and unique. Content created and presented by peers is compelling and effective. Los Angeles County will not only experience an increased rate of insured young immigrants, as well as qualitative measures for program participants. YI promotes community health equity by providing paid training, supervision and mentorship to young Angelenos. We know these programs provide both a direct benefit to the participants and their community. Helping others has been shown to promote positive mental health and self-esteem. Membership in formal groups can decrease social isolation and improve mental health. Young Angelenos may be less likely to enroll in health care or may not have access to information on how to engage, and having trusted peers as messengers addresses this inequity.

YI has led young adult engagement and provided health insurance outreach and enrollment for more than a decade. Reaching newly eligible populations is our strength but simultaneously necessitates unique and specific messaging or tactics. From language access to new partnerships, YI will measure long-standing metrics, i.e. number of individuals enrolled in health care, as well as conceptual shifts in how young Angelenos are positively navigating their health care, including improved mental health, i.e. access to care and improved feelings of engagement through our leadership development program. We must measure how trust has evolved, and tailor events to ensure language access, cultural diversity while maintaining authentic community ties. As Medicaid expands in other geographies, YI will be able to lend our expertise, replicate this program in other places, and track and measure data so we can best target uninsured. YI can permanently and positively shift the Los Angeles landscape.