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Description
Access to Care, a division of MaineHealth, works to ensure that Maine residents have access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare that improves community wellbeing. In 2020, as part of its ongoing commitment to evaluating the effectiveness of its programs, Access to Care partnered with the University of Southern Maine’s Data Innovation Project to conduct a multi-year retrospective evaluation of its two longest-running initiatives, CarePartners and MedAccess. Established in 2001, CarePartners coordinates donated healthcare services for low-income, uninsured residents across six Maine counties by connecting participants with case managers, primary care providers, and pharmacy benefits. Between 2016 and 2019, 4,426 individuals enrolled in CarePartners, with a total of 7,974 enrollees supported during that period. Nearly half of those leaving the program transitioned into comprehensive insurance coverage, including Medicaid/MaineCare, Medicare, or private insurance, reflecting the program’s success in helping participants achieve more stable healthcare access. Created in 2005, MedAccess assists individuals who struggle to afford medications but do not qualify for other safety net programs. From 2013 to 2019, 7,645 people enrolled in MedAccess, and an average of 9,677 prescription assistance applications were submitted annually to pharmaceutical companies on their behalf. About half of participants exited within the first year, often aligning with the twelve-month enrollment cycle of assistance programs, and 21 percent moved on to comprehensive insurance coverage. Together, these findings highlight the critical role of Access to Care programs in bridging healthcare gaps for Maine’s most vulnerable populations and supporting long-term pathways to insurance and medication stability.
Publication Date
5-2021
Publisher
MaineHealth
City
Portalnd, Maine
Keywords
community healthcare, healthcare coverage, insurance, mainecare, access to healthcare, Data Innovation Project, MaineHealth
Disciplines
Art and Design | Digital Humanities | Education | Graphic Design | Interdisciplinary Arts and Media | Statistics and Probability
Recommended Citation
Way, Elora and Wurwarg, Becky, "Improving Access and Health Outcomes Through CarePartners and MedAccess Programs" (2021). Publications. 2.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/dip_publications/2
Included in
Digital Humanities Commons, Education Commons, Graphic Design Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Statistics and Probability Commons
Comments
Produced by the Data Innovation Project on behalf of MaineHealth