Page 17 - HFA Dateline 2016 Q3 Fall

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What We’ve Learned from Bd
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Two Years of Helping Hands Data
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By Elaine Chan, MSW, Staff Member

FA created the Helping Hands Program in 1997 to pro-
Hvide assistance for individuals with bleeding disorders Many households utilize public benefits
who were experiencing financial difficulties. Applications for to supplement their incomes.
t o r
assistance are evaluated individually and, if approved, provide
assistance with basic living expenses such as housing, utility • 26% receive Social Security/Disability (SSDI).
t o r
bills, transportation, and other urgent needs. Helping Hands • 28% receive Supplement Security Income (SSI).
serves as a safety net to families during critical times and seeks • 47% receive benefits from the Supplement
to provide them with the tools and resources needed to main- Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
tain financial stability in the future. In 2012, Helpings Hands
added “Items Reimbursement” as an additional support cate-
gory to assist individuals and families with the costs of durable
medical items like medical identification products and walking Access to health insurance:
Bd Br • 73% utilize Medicaid/Medicare.
supports. While monitoring and assessment of the program
happens year-round, every two years HFA takes a deeper look
into the data it receives through applications and surveys. Be- • 30% are covered by private insurance.
low, you’ll see what HFA has learned after analyzing the data • 9% reported not having health insurance coverage.
from 2013 and 2014. Bd
*The total percentage exceeds 100% because of certain
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households where some members have no insurance or a
Application Breakdown combination of insurance programs.
744
Ds i n o n APPLICATIONS Survey Results
WERE RECEIVED
HFA conducted outreach efforts to survey the 297 households
that received emergency assistance from January 1, 2013
through December 31, 2014. The program survey yielded a 31%
447 297 response rate. Survey respondents answered questions on a
Ds i n
variety of topics including health, education, financial circum-
o n
stances, employment status, and their level of satisfaction with
for emergency for reimbursement
assistance requests the Helping Hands program processes. The survey yielded
Mo m s i n o n some key findings:

36%
• Close to three-quarters of applications were funded, reported an improvement in
totaling more than $220,000 in assistance. their financial situation after

• 9% of households that requested emergency assistance receiving assistance.
were affected by an inhibitor.

• 19% of households that requested reimbursement
were affected by an inhibitor.
l  s Mo m s i n

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Fall 2016 | Dateline Federation 17