Establishing a county health insurance plan with the aid of a community based health survey

The Genesee Health Plan (GHP) is a community-initiated non-profit organization which is designed to provide well managed, cost effective primary care, prescription drugs and specialty care to uninsured, low-income adults through a network of independent physicians, clinics, and three hospital systems. The development of the GHP was facilitated with data from the Speak to Your Health! Community Survey. The survey is a biennial county-wide study addressing a broad range of health issues and other issues of community interest, developed by a collaboration of community and university partners using CPBH principles. Survey data were instrumental in obtaining private and public funding to support the GHP. GHP representatives presented survey results to three local foundations including the current extent of health insurance coverage and the proportion of individuals who needed to visit a doctor but could not because of the cost. As a result of these presentations, the GHP obtained $1.7M in start up costs for the first three years. Survey results were then presented to Genesee County Commissioners in support of a decision to place a property tax increase on the ballot to fund the health plan. The ballot initiative was successful and now 28,000 county residents are enrolled in the GHP. The GHP makes Genesee County among the first counties in the nation to make basic health care available to nearly all of its uninsured, low-income adults. Facilitating the establishment of the GHP may be the greatest impact of the Community Survey in improving community health conditions.