100% Access Healthcare Initiative: Strengthening community capacity to care for uninsured and underinsured residents through collaboration

The 100% Access Healthcare Initiative formed as a result of the United Way of Lane County's 2004 Community Needs and Assets Study. Results indicated that for the first time, access to healthcare, affordable medications and health insurance were the top three needs of people in Lane County, Oregon across all socioeconomic, age and geographic groups. For the past two years, the Coalition which includes health plans, hospitals, government, physician organizations, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses has been working to build upon the existing network of healthcare services to create a system of coordinated, collaborative services for uninsured and underinsured individuals.

The 100% Access Healthcare Initiative provides an example of how community-based collaborations are working to expand access to care for the uninsured. Community-based solutions resulting from local collaborations will improve coordination across existing organizations that serve low-income and uninsured residents. The collaboration also allows for local financial resources across the public and private sectors to be better managed until more systemic healthcare reform proposals emerge from a state or national level.

100% Access projects are data driven through diverse community assessment projects including county-wide Emergency Department utilization and telephone surveys. 100% Access partners are currently implementing a community pilot project that aims to organize healthcare (including mental health and dental care) and social services for the uninsured. The Coalition has also established a prescription voucher system, strengthened mental health and healthcare safety net capacity and spearheaded efforts to bring a bilingual chronic disease management program to the community.