Tri-County Health Network Receives $250,000 Grant

23 Jul Tri-County Health Network Receives $250,000 Grant

To provide local , in-person assistance for Connect for Health Colorado customers. Colorado Health Insurance Exchange to open in October.

With the upcoming fall implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama Care, the Tri-County Health Network (TCHN) has been awarded a grant from Connect for Health Colorado to help Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel County residents select and enroll in health insurance plans. Through the grant, TCHN will become part of the Connect for Health Assistance Network and serve local communities by helping individuals, families and small businesses consider health plan options, apply for insurance affordability programs, and sign up for health coverage.
 
“Because of its rural nature, our region qualifies as a ‘Medically Underserved Community’ and ‘Health Professional Shortage Area,’” said Lynn Borup, Executive Director of the Tri-County Health Network. “We have a large, often unhealthy, uninsured population; and it’s critical that we help them enroll in insurance programs. The larger the pool of insured, the lower the rates will be for everyone.”

The ACA requires that all Americans be enrolled in some type of program by January 31, 2014. Individuals can either decide to keep their current insurance plans or purchase an insurance plan through an online marketplace otherwise known as a “health insurance exchange pool.”

Starting in October, Colorado’s Connect for Health Colorado will offer individuals, families and small employers a new online marketplace for health insurance and, to reduce costs, exclusive access to up-front financial assistance based on income. Customers will shop through a website and receive  help both in-person and over-the-phone from a network of customer service professionals, including TCHN representatives. The marketplace is a public, nonprofit entity that was established by a 2011 state law. More information on Connect for Health Colorado is available at www.ConnectforHealthCO.com

As a member of the new Connect for Health Assistance Network, TCHN is charged with providing local, in-person assistance to anyone — individuals, families and small businesses — shopping for healthcare coverage through Colorado’s new health insurance marketplace. To lower participant costs, TCHN will work with regional residents to apply for new tax credits and find other insurance affordability programs. For more information call 970-708-7096. To learn more about TCHN programs see www.TCHNetwork.org .

“The implementation of Obama Care will fundamentally expand services and usage across our region,” said Davis Fansler, member of the Telluride Health & Wellness Community Council. “It’s important that everyone be aware of the coming changes and be prepared for the implications. The Health & Wellness Community Council has been actively examining the way this shift in policy will change the reality of healthcare in our region, and we’re excited about the opportunities for previously uninsured individuals from all walks of life to enroll in healthcare plans.”

As the population of people with insurance grows, the use of the healthcare system will also grow. This will result in longer wait times for patients to see specialists, as well as longer wait times to secure preventive and primary care appointments. The Health & Wellness Center Community Council has determined that an expanded Telluride regional health and healthcare system, including the Telluride Medical Center, could serve the population better in 2014 and beyond, because  more doctors and specialists in the region would allow for the public to combat the influx of newly insured people seeking appointments for similar care. The Health & Wellness Center is actively seeking public input on the type of services the Telluride community wants, and how they access services now. Input can be provided at www.tellurideahealthideas.org or through a static survey with similar questions at http://conta.cc/18IxyZG.

The three counties served by the Tri-County Enrollment Grant – Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel – are designated as “Medically Underserved Communities” and Health Professional Shortage Areas” and have unemployment rates that are routinely above the state average with 42% of the families in the region below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

These  counties also have a high number of uninsured people, with 19.3% of the population uninsured, almost four points above the state average of 15.5%. The Tri-County Enrollment grant is designed to serve the more than  53,000 people living in the three counties and specifically targets the 12,000 people within the three counties who are actively seeking healthcare.

“Many of the residents in our area are low-income, isolated and lack the understanding of how to navigate the health care system, further preventing access to good healthcare,” commented Borup. “The Assistance Network will be an important resource for all locals, especially for those who have never bought health insurance before and will have many questions about their options and the new financial assistance programs. One example of our work was an out of work and uninsured, single mother who could not pay for her child’s dental needs. After several attempts to contact the mother, our TCHN Navigator helped her fill out the necessary paper work, gather the required documents and ultimately the child qualified for CHP+. The next time the child saw the Navigator she raced up to hug her and thanked her for “helping mom.” The Navigator regularly communicates  with the mother to update her insurance needs.“

The Tri-County Enrollment grant was awarded based on a competitive process. TCHN is one of 57 groups across Colorado that has been selected to provide in-person assistance to customers of Connect for Health Colorado.

TCHN is comprised of a group of healthcare providers in southwestern Colorado within Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties and includes: Montrose Memorial Hospital; the Basin Clinic; Uncompahgre Medical Center; Telluride Medical Center; Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center; and the Local Health Initiative, a program of the Telluride Foundation.

The Telluride Health & Wellness Center Initiative has been created to examine how the shift in policies and the healthcare delivery system could change practices for the region, and the Telluride Medical Center in particular, and if a new medical facility could open new opportunities for expanded services and relationships for Telluride.

For more information on TCHN, the Community Council and the Telluride Health & Wellness Center Initiative, or to join the conversation about what  Telluride needs in order to address these upcoming healthcare changes, please go to www.telluridehealthideas.org, or to join the list serve at www.bigtent.com/groups/tellwell, “like” our Facebook page “Telluride Health & Wellness,” follow us on twitter @TRIDEWELL, or contact the Telluride Foundation at 970-728-8717 or vista.develop@tchnetwork.org to be added to the e-mail distribution list.