6 Best Ways to End Homelessness by Using the New
Healthcare Options
Stop
Talking About Homelessness and Start Helping the Homeless Help Themselves
Many, if not all of us, are
"one serious accident", "one serious illness", "one
economic downturn" away from being homeless.
Imagine yourself having Alzheimer's
and homeless. You might or might not know you need medical help. Even if
someone told you that healthcare was now available, you might not even
understand him or her or have the physical ability to enroll in this new health
option.
This is the plight of many homeless.
They might know about the new health options, but do not know how to enroll.
Some homeless are "so out of it", for whatever reason, they cannot
understand or comprehend they have new healthcare options.
Thus, creates a service opportunity
for average people to help the homeless help themselves.
Most homeless do not choose their lifestyle. Many are afflicted with physical
or mental conditions that restrict their choices in life. Maybe they want to do
better in life, if only they had the health they so long wanted, but was out of
reach to them.
Below are six suggestions for
people, just like you and me, to help implement Affordable Health Care for
homeless people. Your efforts might very well end or prevent homelessness for
one or more persons. Even your tiniest effort will probably help.
Tips:
- Do
not try to go it alone. Some homeless people might be very desperate, and
maybe dangerous. Work with a team of some sort.
- Try
not to re-invent the wheel, e.g. creating your own flyers, etc. Find out
what others are doing and maybe volunteer your time, efforts, and
expertise.
- Ask
first before you do something. Your best-contrived efforts might not help
at all and maybe even hurt. Bounce your ideas off like-minded people and
see what they think.
- Do
not get discouraged. There is a lot of opposition to this new health care
option. Do not let them get you down. You are working for the homeless and
they do not have many options. You can make a positive difference in
someone's life. Try it and see how it goes. Your reward might be the smile
on someone's face as the person light up with renewed hope.
- Learn
about the new healthcare options in the U.S. The links below might be
enough to get started. Your local library can help you "find more
like this". In addition, your local library can offer additional
suggestions how you could help locally where you live. Become familiar
with the existing tools to aid in enrollment. Check out the
"Enroll America" link below. Review the "Affordable Care
Act Resource Kit", especially the section on "Take Action in
Your Region, State and Community". Review the "Official
Resources", especially "Other Partner Resources", to find
promotion materials.
6 Best Suggestions - Pick one or
more and start today!
- Ask
at your local Homeless Shelter how you can help with the Affordable Care
rollout. Tasks might include providing transportation, making and
distributing flyers, informing the homeless of their new health care
option, etc.
- Ask
government officials how you can best help the homeless get the new Affordable
Health Care.
- Build
on the work of "Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)
Program". Collaborate with them and learn their best practices. Even
if VA covers veteran's healthcare, spouses and dependents generally are
not covered by VA benefits. Hence, the rest of the family still needs
healthcare coverage.
- Teach
your children and/or students about how the new Health Reform has great
potential to end or prevent homelessness. Maybe they want to help in some
way and need adult supervision. The students, themselves, might be in a
homeless situation or know of someone who is. Teaching resources have been
developed and are included in the references below.
- Share
your experiences with others, so others can learn from you. You might find
better ways to Enroll America. You might not end homelessness, but at
least you know you have done all you can to provide an opportunity for
others to receive affordable healthcare.
- On
an ongoing basis, encourage poor or homeless people to use their
healthcare opportunities. Show them how to help themselves. Suggest they
get the help they need. If their health improves, maybe their homeless
situation will take care of itself. When people feel better on the
outside, they feel better about themselves on the inside, and want to help
themselves. Someday those same people might help others help in similar
situations.
Takeaways:
- The
"Affordable Care Act" and newly expanded Medicaid have great
potential to decrease homelessness.
- Average
people like you and me, can help Homeless Americans learn about their new
health care options, help them enroll, and encourage them to participate
in their own health care. By doing so, you are helping others help
themselves.
For more information:
Homeless Healthcare - Past, Present,
and Future
- Homelessness - Health Care -
General Information
- Using Health Reform to End Homelessness
- "The Affordable Care Act, and the expansion of Medicaid in
particular, is the secret weapon in the fight against homelessness."
- Obamacare will improve health care for homeless, study says
- "Obamacare will be a huge boon to homeless people and save the
states money at the same time, according to a Yale study released
Monday."
- How Obamacare Helped Paul, A Homeless California Man, Finally
Get Insurance - "Hope isn't an
insurance policy."
- The Affordable Care Act's Role in Preventing and Ending
Homelessness - "People experiencing
homelessness often have complex health challenges that both contribute to,
and are exacerbated by, homelessness. They generally have limited access
to health care because they are often unemployed, lacking
employer-sponsored insurance, and living in poverty. As a result, many
people who are homeless have had to rely on emergency room visits and
uncompensated hospital care, resulting in poor health outcomes, higher
mortality risks, and higher public costs."
- Homeless, Poor Covered Under Affordable Care Act, But Many
Don't Know It - "But there are many
obstacles for the homeless, including proof of citizenship and ID. Others
simply don't know about the Affordable Care Act."
How to Prepare and Take Action to
Help the Homeless with Healthcare
Assistance in Actual Enrollment
Disclaimer - Article is for
information only and is not medical or legal advice. Seek professional
assistance as needed or wanted.
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