Overview

Access Health is one of a few community-based coverage initiatives in Michigan that utilizes Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funds to help finance the program. Developed by the Muskegon Community Health Project, Access Health is a subsidized health coverage program that targets the working uninsured in small and medium sized businesses. The program can ultimately serve up to 3,000 full-or part-time workers; as of 2003, it enrolled 1,500 workers in 400 businesses. Funding for Access Health, which covers physician services, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, emergency department care, ambulance, lab, X ray, home health, and hospital care, is based on the "three-way share" model: the employer share (30%), the employee share (30%), and the community share (40%). Each $1 of the community's contribution is matched by $1.29 in federal DSH funds. The county anticipates that with full enrollment, the program will generate approximately $5 million in new funding that can support the 97 percent of county providers who participate in the program. Michigan's approval of the county's use of DSH funds in this manner made the development and implementation of Access Health feasible. While enrollment has not yet hit the maximum capacity, the state's Medicaid agency is hoping to receive approval from CMS to make more DSH dollars available for this program and others like it around the state. Also, legislation has been proposed to expand the three-way share model across the state.

For More Information Web site: ttp://www.access-health.org/pages/home/