The Case for Investing in Youth Health Literacy: One Step on the Path to Achieving Health Equity for Adolescents

The health literacy of adolescents is a significant concern, especially as teens are increasingly accessing health information online and the credibility of this information is largely unknown. In celebration of Health Literacy Month, the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation is pleased to release an issue brief, “The Case for Investing in Youth Health Literacy: One Step on the Path to Achieving Health Equity for Adolescents,” which discusses opportunities for health plans and foundations to potentially reduce future health care spending by investing in programs and initiatives to improve health literacy during adolescence, a critical developmental time period when many health behaviors are initiated. This issue brief shares recent strategies proposed by the federal government to achieve health equity and improve health literacy, including specific strategies relevant to health plans and foundations. The brief also highlights several examples of current health plan and health plan foundation efforts to improve adolescent health literacy.