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NEW HEALTH ACCESS PROGRAM IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY
 In the gorgeous landscape of the San Luis Valley, many of its nearly 48,000 inhabitants forgo health care.
“We have extremely high cycles of poverty throughout the six-county region,” said Gwen Heller, Vice President of Provider Integrated Strategies & Physician Services at the San Luis Valley Medical Center (SLVMC). “We don’t have a large economic base. Many of our employment opportunities are seasonal, and many of our businesses are mom-and-pop enterprises. As a result, 18% of people who live here are un- or underinsured.”
To help fill the gaps, SLVMC looked to Pueblo’s Health Access Program as a model by which to provide health care services at a reduced rate. “The idea is that employers with fewer than 50 employees, and employees who earn less than $15 per hour contribute to the program in equal shares,” explained Heller. “The enrollment process is based on the employee not having health insurance for at least one year, which is when workers tend to get lost between their employer’s coverage and private insurance.”
Hospitals and health providers are also part of the coverage pool, agreeing to serve program participants at lower rates.
“It’s a collaborative effort,” Heller said, noting that the program will be up and running in early 2010. “We’re currently conducting community forums to discuss what kinds of benefits should be included in the program, how much individuals and employers are willing to pay, and what hospitals and health providers are willing to offer.
“The goal is to develop a basic coverage plan that emphasizes preventive care and routine lab services, some specialty services and outpatient mental health services. We’re studying the top diagnoses in the region to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of our target population.”
As a community-based effort, the San Luis Valley Health Access Program requires 501c(3) status. On June 2, HB 1252 – written by Heller, SLVMC CEO Russ Johnson and Cindy Palmer, CEO of the San Luis Valley Health Maintenance Organization – was signed by Governor Ritter, paving the way for the Health Access Program to serve as a pilot system for delivering basic health care services to some 5,000 uninsured adults (ages 18 to 24) in the Valley.
Support through The Colorado Trust's Partnerships for Health initiative is helping the SLVMC get community buy-in, design the benefits plan, set prices, and conduct outreach and enrollment of participants. For more information about the Health Access Program, please contact Ginger Harrell, Program Officer, 303-837-1200.
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