Date of Award
Fall 11-12-2012
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Gerontology Institute
First Advisor
Dr. Candace Kemp
Second Advisor
Dr. Elisabeth Burgess
Third Advisor
Dr. Ann Pearman
Abstract
Medicare is vital to the health and well-being of many American seniors. However, due to its complexity, beneficiaries often need assistance navigating the federal health insurance system. GeorgiaCares, Georgia’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), provides free and unbiased Medicare information and counseling. The aims of this thesis were to evaluate GeorgiaCares outreach events to discern the social and demographic characteristics of participants and decipher how to best market the events. Participants of nine GeorgiaCares outreach events (n=81) completed anonymous surveys; mixed-methods data analysis revealed the typical participant to be a 71-year-old African American female. Findings suggest an effective way to assist beneficiaries in Medicare-related decisions is through the formation of community partnerships. Suggestions to market outreach events include partnering with churches and grocery stores to disseminate information and enlisting the support of community leaders to overcome barriers of distrust.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/3488744
Recommended Citation
Fisher, Erin, "GeorgiaCares Community Outreach Events: An Evaluation." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2012.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/3488744