 Multi-share health coverage typically consists of community-based, non-profit organizations, like NEON, structured to provide affordable, employer-sponsored health coverage for the working uninsured. The name "multi-share" refers to the cooperative design of the program-- cost is shared between employer, employee, and the community. The program organization is based on shared responsibility in many areas such as cost sharing, risk sharing, and governance.
Multi-share will provide rural and frontier communities like ours:
- An opportunity to confront local health access deficiencies using creative utilization of existing resources;
- Community engagement in designing appropriate healthcare coverage that is right for us;
- Direct contribution in the health of our local community, and in the health maintenance of our fellow community members;
- Empowerment to provide access to needed health care services to low income, uninsured workers.
- Empowerment in choosing healthy lifestyles and reducing chronic conditions.
Overview:
- Multi-share health coverage is for uninsured small businesses with 1-50 employees
- Not-for-profit, community designed and owned
- Cost between $60 - $70 per month for employers, employees, and the community
- Health services provided through local providers in Union, Wallowa, and Baker counties; we hope to have all area providers participate in this community program.
- Benefits normally include major health coverage like hospitalization, maternity care, drug benefits, primary care, wellness and prevention.
Background information:
- Over 7,600 people are uninsured in Union, Wallowa, Baker counties—that’s almost 15% of our population.
- Uncompensated care from the uninsured is driving up premium costs for everyone else
- The community and local hospitals decided to build a program that would help lower costs and make health coverage affordable
 The state supported our efforts in passing legislation and providing seed money- The federal government recently awarded the state with funding to help build this program for five years, until it can become self-sustaining with enough members – about 1,300 people.
As a community becomes healthier, so does its economy.
Why is this needed?
Oregon continues to see a rise in the number of working uninsured. This has had profound consequences on our state, communities and families. Much of this is due to small business’ inability to afford rising health care costs – forcing them to either drop coverage or make coverage unaffordable for their employees. The current economic environment has made it even more difficult for small businesses to offer insurance to their employees.
Currently 79% of businesses in Oregon have less than 50 employees. The majority of these employers are unable to afford the rising cost of health insurance for their employees. These numbers are rising even more quickly in Northeast Oregon, where our communities rely on small businesses as the majority of our region’s employers.
What will this do?
This community-based program will provide local small businesses access to basic health care coverage through innovative and strategic partnerships within our local community, and through modest, shared cost between employers, employees and various resources from the community.
What other states have implemented similar programs?
Minnesota
Texas |
Louisiana
West Virginia |
Michigan
Florida |
Colorado
Illinois |
Overview of Access Health
Access Health (a similar program based in Muskegon, MI) is regarded as the pioneer of a successful, community-based approach to expanding healthcare coverage to uninsured workers. The program is located in a fairly typical Midwestern community with a faltering economy and a population at risk of poor health outcomes. Access Health is known as a “multi-share plan”: employers and employees each pay 30 percent of the cost of the program, and the community pays the remainder.
 Origins of Access Health: Access Health evolved out of the vision and financial support of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, an international philanthropic organization. Following the demise of national healthcare reform in 1994, the Kellogg Foundation launched an initiative with the objective of increasing access to healthcare by encouraging community-based collaboration projects. The initiative led to the establishment of the Muskegon Community Health Project (MCHP), whose goal was to improve healthcare in the county by developing innovative, comprehensive, high-quality and affordable health services models. Access Health was the product of one of the initiatives at MCHP.
Access Health Today: By the end of 2008, Access Health was serving more than 420 employers and 1,150 employees and dependents. In 1999, the employee share of Access Health coverage was $38 per month for adult coverage. By 2008, the employee share was $49 per month - an average annual increase of just over $1.00. In addition, communities around the nation are adopting the multi-share model and covering uninsured workers with this affordable coverage product.
Benefits Package: Access Health is a unique benefit structure that is tailored to meet an individual community’s priorities and funding ability. In Muskegon, Michigan, the plan covers a comprehensive array of health services with exclusions determined by the community. Inpatient and outpatient services are covered, as well as primary and preventive services, emergency room care and prescription drugs – yet covered healthcare services are offered only within Muskegon County. Among the services not covered are neo-natal, limb reattachment, treatment for organ transplants and certain treatments for burns. However, Access Health does have agreements with local hospitals to provide for the services not covered through their charity care programs.
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