Health Insurance and Insights from Health Literacy

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), health care reform has created major changes in the U.S. health care system. The ACA has brought millions of people into the system who had no previous access, and many of these newly enrolled individuals have had limited experience navigating the complex and complicated U.S. health system.

In July 2016 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a public workshop to examine health insurance through the lens of health literacy, focusing on literacy related barriers to information and coverage as well as on possible solutions. Participants discussed the role of health literacy in accessing health care and remaining in treatment; delivery and financing system reforms that affect organizational health literacy; and quality and equity considerations. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.