Press Releases: Northwest
August 10, 2004
Kaiser Permanente to give $1 million to Multnomah County for medical care of the uninsured
PORTLAND, Ore. – Kaiser Permanente is giving $1 million to the Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) to help provide medical care for people without health insurance. The grant was announced by Kaiser Permanente Northwest's Regional President Cynthia Finter and the health program's Regional Medical Director Allan Weiland, MD.
The health department will use the funds to help reduce the impact of planned budget cuts on health care services to uninsured and under-insured residents of Multnomah County. County health officials estimate the Kaiser Permanente grant will enable the health department to provide medical services to 3,000 uninsured people as well as keeping nine health care translators working with non-English speaking clients throughout the county. The funds will also help offset the county's cost to implement a new clinical model that will increase capacity at six county health clinics.
"The health department has an outstanding record of service to Multnomah County's poor and vulnerable residents," says Barney Speight, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs for Kaiser Permanente. "We want to help maintain this essential health care safety net at a time of increased need. This is one element of our commitment to the communities we serve."
"The county's income tax has helped maintain critical services to our clients, but unfortunately it doesn't cover losses in Medicaid revenue and an increase in uninsured patients," states Multnomah County Chair Diane M. Linn. "This significant grant will provide essential and vital health care for people in need in our community."
Since the 1990s, Multnomah County's Health Department has been forced to reduce health care services and close some clinics. A special county income tax has helped the county maintain critical services to current clients, but doesn't cover losses in Medicaid revenue, contributing to a projected $5 million budget shortfall. In the last year, medical visits to county health clinics by people not covered by insurance have increased by 7 percent, according to the health department. Each percentage increase of uncompensated care translates to $250,000 of lost revenue to the county's clinical system. Given the low incomes of many of these clients, only a small percentage of the costs for these self-pay visits are ever collected. At the same time, Medicaid visits have decreased by 10 percent, leading to a shortfall in revenue from the Oregon Health Plan.
"This marked increase in uncompensated care cannot be sustained at current funding levels," says Vanetta Abdellatif, Director of Integrated Clinical Services for Multnomah County Health Department. "Kaiser Permanente's generous support will help us continue to serve as many uninsured residents as possible, especially people who face language barriers and depend on translators when they seek medical care."
Last year, Kaiser Permanente gave over $30 million to benefit the communities it serves in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Multnomah County Health Department protects, promotes, and assures the health of county residents through a network of community and school-based health clinics, outreach services, and programs to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases.
Kaiser Permanente is a prepaid, group practice health care organization founded in 1945 and serving the health needs of more than 445,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
