Do our programs work? Research briefs from our modules.

Smart Use Health InsuranceHealthcare in Your Senior Years (2020)

Smart Use Health InsuranceWorkshops continue to have an impact! People leave with the confidence to understand health insurance options in their senior years. This finding is based on data from 103 consumers who participated in the Smart Choice Smart UseHealth Insurance™ - Healthcare in Your Senior Yearsresearch and education pilot project. These consumers were diverse in income and education, as well as in gender and race. Regardless of differences in socio-economic characteristics, the Smart UseHealth Insuranceworkshops increased confidence.

Smart Use Health Insurance™ Your Health Insurance Benefits (2019)

The 2017-2019 pilot test of the Smart Use Health Insurance© Understanding Your Health Insurance Benefits module is finished.  Results show that consumers increased their confidence in understanding cost terms and estimating costs.  Certified Extension Educators taught 18 workshops in four states and two national webinars for 102 consumers between 2017 and 2019.  The impact of the workshops was measured by valid and reliable questions.

Smart UseHealth InsuranceUnderstanding and Estimating Health Care Costs (2018)

The 2017-2018 pilot test of the Smart Use Health Insurance© Understanding and Estimating Health Care Cost module is finished.  Results show that consumers increased their confidence in understanding cost terms and estimating costs.  Certified Extension Educators taught 16 workshops in four states and two national webinars for 186 consumers between May 2017 and June 2018.  The impact of the workshops was measured by valid and reliable questions.

Smart Choice Health Insurance© Second Pilot-Test Multi-State Findings Revealed (2015)

The 2014-15 pilot test of Smart Choice Health Insurance© is finished. Results show that consumers increased their confidence and ability to choose a health insurance plan!  Certified Smart Choice© Extension Educators taught 61 workshops in seven states for 422 consumers between September 2014 and March 2015.  The impact of the workshops was measured by valid and reliable questions developed and tested by the American Institutes of Research.

Smart Choice Health Insurance©Pilot Test Multi-State Findings Revealed (2014)

Certified Smart Choice Extension Educators taught 134 workshops in seven states between September 2013 and May 2014. The impact of the workshops was measured by valid and reliable questions developed and tested by the American Institutes of Research (AIR).

Scholarship:

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2023 Inventory

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2022 Inventory

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2021 Inventory

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2020 Inventory

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2019 Inventory

Smart Choice - Smart Use Scholarship 2018 Inventory

Manuals:

Braun, B., McCoy, T. & Finkbeiner, N. (2014). Extension Education Theoretical Framework with Criterion-Referenced Assessment Tools. College Park, MD:  University of Maryland Extension.

Articles:

Ketterman, J., Pippidis, M., Nuckols, D., Sorenson, C., & Wang, C (2022). Health Insurance Options in Senior Years. Journal of National Association of County Agricultural Agents, 15(1). https://www.nacaa.com/journal/29d16337-e9b3-4b5a-babf-f5a69e45a0cc

Ketterman, J., Pippidis, M., Brown, V., and Braun, B. (2018). Teaching Consumers to Understand and Estimate Health Care Costs. The FORUM for Family and Consumer Issues, https://www.theforumjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Teaching-Cons...

Brown, V. (2017).  Infusing adult education principles in a health insurance literacy program. Health Promotion Practice, https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839917700369

Brown, V., Russell, M., Ginter, A., Braun, B., Little, L., Pippidis, M. and McCoy, T. (2016). Smart Choice Health InsuranceTM: A new, interdisciplinary program to enhance health insurance literacy. Health Promotion Practice, 17(2), 209-216.

Russell, M., Brown, V., Braun, B., Little, L., McCoy, T., Pippidis, M., & Garcia, C. (2014). Smart Choice: A Solution for a more health insurance and financial literate America. Journal of National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. 9. 78-83: http://www.neafcs.org/assets/documents/journal/jneafcs%20volume%209_2014%20final-rev-2-27.pdf

Russell, M., Little, L., & Pippidis, M. (2014) Effective Case Studies:  Making a Smart Choice Health Insurance© decision. The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues. http://ncsu.edu/ffci/publications/2014/v19-n2-2014-summer-fall/russell-little-pippidis.php

Ginter, A.C., Maring, E.F., Paleg, B., and Valluri, Swetha. (August, 2013). Using clicker technology with rural, low-income mothers: Collecting sensitive data anonymously. Journal of Extension.

Kim, J., Braun, B. and Williams, A. D. (2013), Understanding Health Insurance Literacy: A Literature Review. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 42: 3–13. doi: 10.1111/fcsr.12034

Presentations:

Smart Choice Health Insurance: Increases Confidence - Reduces Confusion.  

Presentation at Institute for Healthcare Advancement Health Literacy Conference, May 8, 2014 by Virginia Brown on behalf of HILI team members.

Smart Choice Health Insurance Tools Poster Presentation at NACDEP Galaxy Conference, Pittsburgh, 2013.

Galaxy Smart Choice Pilot Poster at NACDEP Galaxy Conference, Pittsburgh, 2013. 

Health Insurance Literacy Theoretical Framework 

Presentation by Dr. Bonnie Braun on understanding and applying theoretical frameworks to health insurance literacy.

Ask an Expert, Extension, and Smart Choice Health Insurance

Presentation by Megan O'Neil to the Community HealthCorps Program Development Institute, August 2013. Washington, DC.

Brown, V.L., Russell, M. and Braun, B. (2013). Health Insurance Literacy Initiative. (Poster Presentation). Galaxy Conference 2013. Pittsburgh, PA.

You and Health Insurance: The Why, What, and How for Making a Smart Choice

Presentation by Lynn Little, Bonnie Braun, Virginia Brown, Teresa McCoy, Mia Baytop Russell, Megan O'Neil, Jinhee Kim, Crystal Terhune, and Maria Pippidis. 2013 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education Conference. November 21, 2013. Greenville, South Carolina.

Briefs:

Ginter, A. & Duggal, M. (2013). Clickers: Voice with anonymity -- Implications for research. College Park, MD: University of Maryland Extension.

Sample Size:

Israel, G.D. (1992) Determining Sample Size. University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, EDIS, Florida.

https://www.tarleton.edu/academicassessment/documents/samplesize.pdf

Sudman, S. (1976). Applied Sampling. New York. Academic Press.

https://www.tools4dev.org/resources/how-to-choose-a-sample-size/

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2001/06/SamplingGuide.pdf