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Henry
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« : February 22, 2009, 03:22:20 PM » |
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Last Thursday my daughter Lynn gave testimony before the Health Care Committee in Montpelier. If you know of someone who is uninsured and needs health care, you might want to read the following so they can be helped get through the system and get the health care they might need: Testimony before the Health Care Committee
February 19,2009
Given by: Lynn Raymond-Empey, Executive Director ,
Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured
Good Morning, my name is Lynn Raymond-Empey. I am the Executive Director of the Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured. I became the Executive Director last spring after our long time Director, Sonja Olson, retired.
I am here this morning to talk to you about one of the things that is working well in the Free Clinics,--Outreach and Enrollment.
As you might expect, our patient numbers have been increasing rapidly in the past few months. From July 1 of 2008 until December 31 of 2008 we saw a 26.5% increase in our unduplicated patient count over the same time period last year. We have been funded by the state at the same level since July of 2006. We do not bill for patient services so whether we have 2500 patients or 6000 patients we have the same amount of funds. It has been very difficult for the clinics to sustain services and respond to the needs of all their patients. And so we had to really focus our efforts on outreach and enrollment. We needed to move these patients onto health insurance and into a medical home in an efficient manner. For Example, even though our referral clinics saw a double digit increase in the number of patients they saw in 2008, they experienced a 21% decrease in the number of services they were providing per patient. This is the result of getting patients enrolled in programs and finding them a permanent medical home.
Every patient that comes through the doors of the free clinics is screened for possible eligibility in one of the Green Mountain Care programs—Medicaid, VHAP, Dr. Dynasaur, Catamount or Ladies First. We provide them with applications and help them fill it out as needed. And then, most importantly, we follow it through the system. We stay in touch with the patient through the process until we get them connected with health insurance and a medical home. We meet their medical needs during this process and work with them to address issues like mental health concerns, tobacco cessation, dental and medication needs. r
By focusing much of our efforts on outreach and enrollment we are getting people into the health care system and connecting them with a medical home. The free clinics become medical homes in the absence of any other options and they do provide wonderful care. However, they are not meant to be a primary care home. A few months ago I was contacted by a young woman who was pregnant with her third child. Her husband had lost his job and their insurance. She wanted to go to the nearest Free Clinic for her prenatal care. This was not the best option for her or any pregnant woman. We got her connected with appropriate resources, including WIC, and Dr. Dynasaur.
Most of the people who come to the free clinics are very vulnerable. They are often quite sick and need not only medical help, but some level of case management. The free clinics have consistently been an access point for them. We are a safety net provider that grabs hold of them and will not let go. A while ago we had a gentleman come into Valley Health Connections who was working, not feeling well and had lost VHAP because he was over income. They helped him apply for Catamount. He was eligible for Catamount and got insured. However, shortly after becoming insured he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His income dropped and so the clinic had him re-evaluated for VHAP—which he was approved for. In the interim the clinic continued to help him with his medication needs. The ability of the clinics to follow through and continue to help their patients navigate the system is essential to successful outreach and enrollment. It's about way more than filling out an application form.
The free clinics have been working closely with their partners at BiState to prepare a manual that outlines best practice to help a patient get enrolled in the Green Mountain Care programs. With the modernization of Economic Services looming around the corner, the knowledge and ability to assist patients in outreach and enrollment is going to become critical for some of our most vulnerable Vermonters. The Free Clinics are very proud of this work and look forward to sharing our lessons learned with our partners around Vermont.
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