News
Ever wish health care used every day clear and simple words? October is National Health Literacy Month
Date: 09/16/22
See what Health Net is doing for you!
Health Literacy Month is held every October in the United States to raise awareness on the importance of understanding health information. At Health Net, we want to make healthcare less stressful and easy for you. A big part of that is writing and speaking in clear and simple language.
What is Health Literacy? 
Health literacy is being able to find, understand, and use your health information to make decisions about your well-being. This means understanding things such as:
- What your health insurance covers.
- Where to go for your care.
- What your doctor is saying.
- Instructions on how to take your prescription drugs.
Did you know Health Net began a Clear and Simple Program in 2010 for its employees that serve you? The Clear and Simple Program provides employees with resources on how to write and speak in plain language. Our staff also receive trainings every year to improve their plain language skills.
This year for Health Literacy Month, Health Net is raising awareness to stopping the use of jargon language. Jargon is technical words that people often use that can be hard to understand. For example, instead of using the word hypertension, one can say high blood pressure. Instead of using terminate, use the word end. This is Health Net's way of pledging to stop using jargon and communicate clearly and effectively.
Want to learn more about health literacy?
- Ask Me 3 – Good Questions for your Good Health (PDF)
- Building Health Literacy Awareness Through Action, Institute for Healthcare Advancement
- Health Literacy: What Is It and Why Is It Important?, Rasmussen University
- Understanding Health Literacy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention