Covering the Working Uninsured: An Innovative Shared Premium Program in Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County has experienced an increase in the number of uninsured residents. From 1999 to 2006, the percent of uninsured residents age 65 and under has increased from 15.1% to 20% in Palm Beach County. A significant number of the uninsured make less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and do no qualify for federal, state, or local health care programs. In the absence of major national reforms aimed at reducing the number of uninsured, many local communities and organizations are starting to develop programs to provide health coverage to their residents. The Health Care District of Palm Beach County has implemented an integrated model of health coverage including a Medicaid HMO, and a managed care look alike for the uninsured as well as a new shared premium health care product. The product, named Vita Health, is modeled after managed care principles and represents the next dimension in low-income health coverage by offering enrollees a basic benefit plan that includes inpatient, primary and specialty care, and pharmaceutical coverage. To date, over 30,000 people have enrolled in the three health care programs at an average cost of $0 to $50 per month. The presentation will be divided into the following sections: Part 1- Overview of an Integrated Healthcare Delivery Model for a Low-Income/Uninsured Population Part 2- Overview of Shared Premium Program Concept and Benefit Design Part 3- Review of Shared Operating Structure and Components for Healthcare Delivery System Part 4- Review of Challenges and Benefits Related to Implementation