Several ideas to extend care to Manatee's medically needy
Since the first of the year, there has been a thorough review of existing health care delivery for the medically needy conducted by the Manatee County Health Advisory Board.
The group is now approaching the time when they will also be reviewing the much-anticipated consulting report on the same subject. As a non-member but regular attendee at the HAB meetings, I would like to offer two ideas for their consideration.
One is the idea of a medical credit card along the lines of a retailing affinity card (think Amazon or a Bealls gift card etc.) which could only be used at specific medical clinics/offices equipped with a card reader to accept such a card.
If a dental-medical clinic/office were willing to offer a flat $75 per visit charge for card holders, then a $300 annual credit line could offer a medically needy person three doctor visits and one dental visit per year.
A second idea, which incorporates both acute and chronic care, is an annual per diem/per patient arrangement whereby Manatee County would pay $40/month for unlimited treatment at a specific medical clinic such as MCR Health Services, which operates 14 locations in the county and has a long history of service to the medically needy. This arrangement might offer less physician choice, but is more comprehensive, and, therefore, attractive to patients with both acute and chronic care needs.
Last year, Manatee County contributed $6 million to Manatee Memorial Hospital to treat the medically needy. In 2016 and beyond, if $2 million were allocated to either or both of these concepts to treat the 23,622 county residents who did not qualify for expanded Medicaid (due to non-acceptance by the State of Florida), then a big step will have been taken by the county commissioners to make health care more available to the medically needy.
Mike Meehan, CFA
Bradenton
This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Several ideas to extend care to Manatee's medically needy ."