Access Health, a program developed by MCHP, is an innovative approach to the challenge of providing health coverage to uninsured working families in Muskegon County. Over 400 local small businesses and 1,500 people annually participate in this unique effort aimed at helping people and business get access to affordable coverage.

This unique, three-share model distributes the benefit cost equally between employer, employee and the community, enabling small and mid-sized businesses to provide a comprehensive mainstream benefit plan that includes local physician services, in-patient hospitalization, out-patient services, emergency services, behavioral health, prescription drugs (formulary), diagnostic lab and x-rays, home health and hospice care.

A shining example of a community-based solution to a national problem, the Health Project, through its Community Health Ventures affiliate, is helping other communities across the nation develop similar programs and is providing information to the U.S. Congress about the role of models of this type in addressing the needs of America’s uninsured.

One of the lessons we’ve all learned about extending health care access using financing models is that sooner or later, you’re going to run out of money. MCHP developed the i-NET program to help manage the bottom line on cost, as well as improve case management of chronic disease. Less cost and better outcomes…what a goal!

i-NET is a software product that provides HIPAA compliant case management of indigent health care through a secure Internet site, allowing users to link a community’s entire safety net of health and human service providers.

Personal and medical data provide the basis for diagnosis, treatment planning, collaborative case management, and the measurement of health outcomes. The integration of claims and medical data provide the ability to monitor costs and evaluate treatment protocols across the community’s array of safety net services.

i-Net greatly enhances a community’s ability to wrap its safety net services around at-risk/high use populations to improve not only their health status but extend financial resources as well.

Youth violence and crime are health issues faced by every community. A recently published study found that young people who spent time in the juvenile justice system had a death rate four times higher than that of the general population of youth, even when controlled for demographic differences. When coupling this data with the high cost of secure residential treatment, communities are challenged to find solutions.

MCHP’s SHOnet is the result of three years of development and testing as a real-world application for community-based management of juveniles who are at risk of becoming career criminals.

The SHOnet software program allows communities to coordinate real-time case management of at-risk youth in their own communities, as opposed to high-cost residential treatment or the use of jails. Care coordination is jointly managed by community partners through a secure Internet site. The availability of an Internet browser eliminates compatibility issues and cost barriers for communities.

Already in use in multiple counties, SHOnet has a proven track record of reducing the cost of care and significantly reducing recidivism by youth who participate in the program.