Reading Level of Medicaid Renewal Applications

• Published in: Academic pediatrics Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 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: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2012
• 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; United States; reading level; children’s health; health literacy; Medicaid; Medicaid renewal
• ISSN: 1876-2859; 1876-2867
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2012.04.008

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.