Stress levels increasing as Healthcare Reform approaches

By MEGAN COOPER

Mt. Pleasant News

Healthcare Reform has some people rather stressed out.

The reform is a new process and it?s getting ready to start on Oct. 1. ?The new regulation for general assistance, for insurance, is that the clients who are already receiving assistance, must file paperwork with the federal government. This can be done either online or over the phone, this will help the government decide whether clients will receive Department of Human Services (DHS) funded insurance or insurance from another party. This is all part of the National Healthcare Reform,? said Sarah Berndt from Central Point of Coordination (CPC).

Clients can start working on these new applications on Oct. 1, and when they do it through the system, it will crunch that data, and the clients will find out whether or not they are eligible for DHS insurance through Medicaid or if they will be referred to an insurance exchange.

Berndt feels that since this process is new, they should help the clients with it, so they get everything in order that needs to be in order. Some organizations don?t feel the same way, but Berndt says, ?my opinion is at the county level, we shouldn?t spend extra money getting the word out. But, we do need to let those we have under our care now, and those that come in the doors, about the new process. They need to know what to do.?

Clients will have until the end of December. to get in the system or they won?t have insurance. If the application is in anytime between that time, the insurance will start automatically in January.

?What I?m going to do is send out a letter telling clients they need to get this taken care of, or their insurance will end. If they don?t do this by the deadline and they come in after it, they will be routed into the system and they won?t be covered until the process is completed, which, if they get in in January, it would be February,? Berndt said.

Another aspect of the Health Care Reform is that if people need general assistance, they will have to be entered into the system. If it?s for mental health, the CPC will actively go after the clients.

According to Healthcare Reform rules and regulations, all regions must be on board. If one county offers a service, all counties must offer a service.

County general assistance will no longer provide money for mental health under the reform package; it will be covered under the insurance that clients will obtain through the federal government?s system. According to Berndt, ?general assistance will fund very little after this, they will only fund what the state doesn?t want to fund.?

More changes within the Healthcare Reform are that shelter workshops, which are for people who can?t work in normal situations, aren?t considered a core service anymore, which means they won?t be funded. ?The reason is because shelter workshops pay less than minimum wage, they segregate clients from the community and it?s discriminatory. The federal government wants people working towards inclusive employment and minimum wage,? said Berndt. Also, transportation isn?t considered a core service and won?t be funded anymore either. Berndt said, ?all providers will need to do business differently,? in reference to the Healthcare Reform.

There will be other changes as the Healthcare Reform comes into action, Berndt added without going into specifics.

The board, as of now, hasn?t received final approval for the Solid Waste Site.

The board will meet again on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 9 a.m.