This month, we spoke with Jessy Foster, Deputy Director of Partnerships and Policy at Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN). PHAN is Pennsylvania’s only statewide consumer-driven organization working to expand and protect access to high-quality, equitable, affordable healthcare for all Pennsylvanians. You can see a great video PHAN created about their story here.
PHAN’s services fall within two main categories; enrollment and advocacy. Through their enrollment services, PHAN helps those needing support in enrolling in, and receiving, health insurance and navigating the healthcare system. This includes applying for coverage, understanding benefits and what they mean as well as patient rights when receiving treatment. Those looking to access information and support with healthcare and health insurance can check out the FAQ (scroll down to find), call the navigator helpline at (877) 570-3642, or fill out the form here.
Advocacy services look towards the future as everyday individuals can address issues happening within their own communities. This is done through community listening sessions and conversations. Their flagship program, Be Heard Be Healthy, seeks patient and community stories about the impact that provider relationships and costs have on seeking and accessing medical care. Additionally, the Be Heard Be Healthy program has events that increase the capacity of individuals to take ownership of their stories and advocate for change within their own communities.
If you didn’t think this was enough, PHAN takes on policy challenges in rural healthcare access and drug price transparency. Starting in the new year, PHAN will be working to build awareness of consumer protections for patients and understand challenges with medical debt.
For providers working with patients to reach out to PHAN or generally apply for health insurance, it’s important for your patient or client to have the following information about their household:
- Size
- Income
- Age of those seeking health insurance
- Immigration status
PHAN recommends that if there are any questions at all about coverage or enrollment, including if someone is eligible or not, to reach out via the helpline or the FAQ to get a definitive answer.