Developing a strategy for health coverage for the working uninsured

The population of working uninsured continues to grow in the U.S. As the cost of health care and health insurance rise, the proportion of employers who are dropping health benefits also rises. In the Brazos Valley—a seven-county, mostly rural region of Central Texas—many of the key stakeholders in the health and human service delivery system have realized that the solution to access for the working uninsured is going to have to be local. Commissioned by the local United Way, a feasibility study was conducted in Spring 2008 to assess the likelihood of success for implementing a multi-share model of health coverage. In this type of model, a coverage product is developed and marketed to businesses and their employees in a system where the costs are shared by the employee, employer, service provider, and other community sources. One of four communities funded by the Texas Health and Human Service Commission to pilot test this model, the Brazos Valley is unique in that its region is primarily rural and its catchment area is truly regional. Issues related to project development and sustainability will be discussed.