Reading Level of Medicaid Renewal Applications

Abstract Objective To examine compliance of Medicaid-renewal applications to established state guidelines for reading level of Medicaid-related materials. Methods We assessed the reading level of the 2008 Medicaid renewal applications by using 3 readability tests: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, N...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Academic pediatrics 2012-07, Vol.12 (4), p.297-301
Main Authors: Pati, Susmita, MD, MPH, Kavanagh, Jane E, Bhatt, Suraj K., MS, Wong, Angie T., MHS, Noonan, Kathleen, JD, Cnaan, Avital, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
children’s health
Comprehension
Educational Status
Guideline Adherence - statistics & numerical data
Health Literacy
Humans
Medicaid
Medicaid - statistics & numerical data
Medicaid renewal
Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine
Pediatrics
Reading
reading level
United States
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Objective To examine compliance of Medicaid-renewal applications to established state guidelines for reading level of Medicaid-related materials. Methods We assessed the reading level of the 2008 Medicaid renewal applications by using 3 readability tests: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, New Fog Count, and FORCAST. Results In 2008, 45 states and the District of Columbia had reading level guidelines for Medicaid-related materials. Of these, 24 (52.2%) states’ Medicaid renewal applications failed to meet their guidelines on all 3 readability tests; in particular, 41 states (89.1%) failed the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index. Only one state’s application had a Flesch-Kincaid score below a 5th-grade reading level. Conclusions As health care reform unfolds, complying with established reading level guidelines for Medicaid-related materials is one simplification strategy that should be implemented to improve access for Medicaid-eligible families and prevent eligible children from losing coverage unnecessarily.
ISSN:1876-2859
1876-2867
DOI:10.1016/j.acap.2012.04.008