Access to Health Care for Survivors

For many survivors of domestic and sexual violence, access to health care is a vital part of healing and self-determination. Futures Without Violence is working with advocates and health providers to get survivors across the country the access to the care and coverage they deserve.

Open enrollment for 2023 health coverage is happening November 1, 2022-January 15th 2023. It is crucial for survivors to get support in exploring their coverage options. Find out the Top 5 Ways That DV/SA Advocates Can Help Survivors Enroll in health coverage today and what else advocates can do:

• Healthcare.gov Enrollment for Survivors of Domestic Violence
• Getting To Know You Medicaid Department: Questions to Ask
• Promoting Health Access for Survivors During Open Enrollment: an Expanding the Continuum Podcast Short!
  
• Español: Conozca A Su Departamento De Medicaid: Preguntas Para Hacer

Because being a survivor of domestic violence is considered a Qualifying Life Event, survivors can enroll at any time throughout the year.

• Insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage to victims of domestic violence as a preexisting condition.
• Survivors of do not need to wait for Open Enrollment. They qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) because they are survivors of domestic violence.
• If survivors of domestic violence are not able to enroll in health care, they are eligible for a “hardship exemption” from paying the fee, because domestic violence is considered a qualifying life event.
• Screening and counseling for domestic violence are now benefits that health plans are required to cover.

More helpful resources:

• Threats to Medicaid Endangers Survivors’ Access to Care
• Addressing IPV as a Social Determinant of Health in Clinical Settings
• Health Care Policy and Payment Strategies to Improve Children’s Trauma Services
• Advocates Guide for Partnering with Health Care: Models for Collaboration and Reimbursement (Some parts are California specific)
• Coding and Documentation for Domestic Violence
• Explanations of Benefits & Safeguarding Sensitive Health Information

Webinars:

• 2017: Supporting Survivor Access to Health Care
• Reimbursement and Payment Strategies for DV/Health Partnerships
• Open Enrollment: How the Affordable Care Act can help patients experiencing abuse
• Special Enrollment Period for Survivors: How the Affordable Care Act can help patients experiencing domestic and interpersonal violence

Learn more:

• IPVhealth.org Online toolkit for advocates and health providers
• www.healthcare.gov: Enrollment information and resources
• Learn more about FUTURES’ policy work