Background/Purpose: To determine the specific barriers among low-income New River Valley (NRV), Virginia older adult residents (i.e., aged 60 and older) in accessing nontraditional care (e.g., dental, vision, mental health) and insurance coverage utilizing the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework.
Method: MAPP provides communities with a framework to collect and analyze health data, as well as identify and prioritize community health issues and findings to develop and implement action plans that address defined needs. A total of 70 forced-choice surveys were manually distributed to senior patrons of local senior centers.
Analysis/Results: A total of 24% of the sample had not seen an eye doctor in the past three years, while 18% could not afford prescription eyewear. Additionally, 38% of the sample had not visited a dentist in the past year, while 28% did not receive necessary mental health services. Finally, 47.4% reported obtaining most of the care that they needed, but nearly 31.6% reported not being able to pay for necessary care at any given time due to an excessive copayment (10.5%), health insurance plan not covering the necessary services (12.3%), or not being able to pay out-of-pocket for services (8.8%). Other access issues included distance of health services (3.5%) and lack of transportation (10.5%).
Conclusions: Low-income residents without healthcare coverage or barriers to financing and/or obtaining nontraditional health services remain primary issues of concern. Efforts and legislative policies must be implemented to achieve equity across economic strata to promote better health and access to care among all community residents.