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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Joyce M. Brown-Williams, BS and Mary Jane O'Neill, RN, BA. Patient Care Management System, County of Wayne, 640 Temple, Suite 370, Detroit, MI 48201, 313.833.3434, jbwillia@co.wayne.mi.us
HealthChoice of Michigan is an innovative healthcare program that serves the uninsured working population of Wayne County. Many of the uninsured adults have jobs, but many businesses do not offer medical benefits because coverage is too expensive. Medical benefits are highly desirable and uninsured workers will actively seek jobs that provide them.
Wayne County designed HealthChoice to be an affordable, healthcare program to help employers improve the workplace. Businesses that offer medical benefits experience lower absenteeism, less attrition, lower training costs and a more stable workforce.
In 1994, HealthChoice was implemented by Wayne County's Patient Care Management System under a State Public Act1 that authorizes certain governmental units to establish, modify, operate, and manage health services with major medical providers and county government.
HealthChoice is funded through a non-profit organization, Urban Hospital Care Plus (UHCP) which was developed to address the needs of the under-served population in Wayne County, and administrated by Wayne County's Patient Care Management System.
UHCP is funded through an indigent care pool 2 consisting of state Medicaid pass-through monies and Wayne County general fund dollars. The indigent pool monies are distributed to eligible hospitals, based on each hospital's estimated Medicaid outpatient payments. The hospitals pool their funds and contract with UHCP to operate indigent programs. Funds allocated by UHCP for HealthChoice, provide a 1/3 subsidy of the premium with the employer paying 1/3 and the employee paying 1/3 of the premium.
Riders are also offered for an additional fee that is also subsidized.
Learning Objectives:
Related Web page: www. waynecounty.com
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.