July 27, 2011. The Lakeland Ledger. BARTOW | Orange County, Florida, and Orange County, California, have at least one thing in common:
The methods each county uses to help its uninsured residents get health care deserve a closer look, as do indigent-care programs in Hillsborough County and in California’s San Diego County.
Pinellas County also could get a call, according to members of the Polk County Safety Net System Care Model Development Stakeholder Advisory Group.
No longer on its agenda are Boston, the District of Columbia and Monterrey County, Calif.
These are some conclusions reached Wednesday as the “stakeholders” met with Scott Ponaman, a consultant chosen by Polk County to help expand the local system of trying to provide health care for the uninsured.
Its members include representatives of hospitals, physician groups, the Polk County Health Department, volunteer groups providing free care, county government and mental health and substance-abuse programs.
Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, a grassroots group advocating better healthcare access, has long endorsed the system used in Florida’s Orange County. Jan Howell, who directs the Polk County program responsible for spending local indigent-care dollars, said Hillsborough County is a good model.
“I consider it, of all the indigent programs, to be the frontrunner,” she said.
Polk’s doctor shortage will make expansion difficult, said Sandy Swanson, executive director of We Care, a program that matches volunteer doctors with uninsured patients who need specialty care.
“We’re nearing charity care burnout,” Swanson said.
The federal budget stalemate and efforts to repeal federal health care reform laws are complicating the advisory group’s planning.
Although Polk County has a half-cent indigent-care sales tax, some commissioners want future primary care expansion linked to health centers that can bring in federal dollars to supplement what’s raised locally.
