ST. LOUIS, July 29, 2010 – The State of Missouri has received a “Gateway to Better Health” Demonstration Project from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Demonstration will allow the redirection of $25 million in annual Medicaid funding to preserve and expand important community health center services in St. Louis’ urban core. These funds will assist in the transition to expanded coverage under the new Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
“I was thrilled to work hand-in-hand with the St. Louis Regional Health Commission, who carries out such critical work in our community, to reach this point where the federal government is acting to accommodate the structure of the RHC and enabling its life saving work serving underinsured and uninsured patients,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill. “This funding means that people in the St. Louis area who find themselves without insurance during these tough times will have access to the health care that they desperately need. It’s essential that we continue to provide the health care safety net for those who need it until the new health care reform law is fully implemented.”
The St. Louis Regional Health Commission will coordinate, monitor and report on the Demonstration Project, continuing its work of the last 10 years. Since the region formed the Commission, access to community health center services has dramatically increased by more than 120,000 additional annual visits, and St. Louis has become a national model for innovative ways to improve safety net health care services.
“We are delighted to receive this funding, which is critical to the viability of the St. Louis region’s health care safety net,” said Robert Fruend, Jr., chief executive officer of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission. “We are deeply grateful to Senators Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond, Representatives Todd Akin, Russ Carnahan and William Lacy Clay, Governor Jay Nixon and his staff at the Department of Social Services, County Executive Charlie Dooley and Mayor Francis Slay for their strong support in ensuring that the health care safety net remains in place in the St. Louis region.”
The funds provided by the Demonstration Project will be used to improve care and access at community health centers in the St. Louis region. These funds represent about 25 percent of the total budget for community health centers operating in St. Louis. With the approval of the Demonstration Project, the Commission will begin immediately working with its partners to develop a plan for effectively transitioning the patients in the health care safety net to coverage provided through federal Health Care Reform.
“Through the collaboration of the members of the Commission and the state we believe we will develop a plan that will serve as a model for the rest of the nation,” said Ronald J. Levy, director of the Missouri Department of Social Services. “We look forward to continuing our work with the St. Louis community to find innovative ways to improve access to quality health care services for the region’s citizens.”
For more information, please contact Jennifer Brinkmann at (314) 469-3500.
About the St. Louis Regional Health Commission
The St. Louis Regional Health Commission is a non-profit organization with a mission to increase access to health care for people who are medically uninsured and underinsured; reduce health disparities among populations in the St. Louis City and County region; and improve health outcomes among populations in the St. Louis City and County region, especially among those most at risk. The Commission comprises an appointed body of government, health care and community leadership. It was formed in 2001 at the recommendation of Civic Progress in response to an immediate funding crisis in St. Louis after the closure of St. Louis Regional Hospital.
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