Christmas came a day early for many rural Arizona children, thanks to North Country Healthcare. Yesterday we received a note from North Countrys medical director offering to sign up all the North Country practices to participate in our Medical Services Project [MSP]. In the past few years, Arizona has slipped from 47th to 49th place in childrens health coverage.* Since 1993, AzAAP has worked through health care providers across the state to connect uninsured and under-insured children to low-cost medical care through referrals from school nurses and other community partners. Otherwise, these kids may end up with unmet medical needs that can become exacerbated as they grow, affecting their success in school and life. Referred kids visit local doctors within the MSP network of pediatric primary care and specialty providers. Our gracious providers donate time and expertise, accepting a small co-payment for their services. Medications, laboratory, radiology and other ancillary services can be covered by the Program in most instances, through a grant from ADHS, to a limit of $500 per child per year. MSP referral sources are required to alert families of referred patients to health care coverage opportunities through AHCCCS and the Health Care Marketplace. Many families who obtain care through MSP opt to become regular patients in your practice once they have insurance. To meet the growing need, we are currently expanding our existing service areas and the number of participating medical practices. We particularly need doctors in rural communities, and in and low-income regions. We also have a critical need for pediatric specialists across the state. MSP providers determine how many appointment slots per month they can earmark for patients referred by our MSP referral sources; although we also offer “as-needed” participation for doctors who prefer not to commit to monthly visits but can take the occasional referral. Providers can withdraw from the Program at any time. To ensure continual program improvement, AzAAP conducts satisfaction surveys for providers, nurses and patients to give input about their experiences with the Program. For example, in January 2015, we will convert all referral paperwork to digital in response to participant request. Why not say yes to Medical Services Project and make 2015 better for Arizonas children by joining our network of MSP providers? Please free to contact our director, Sandy Price, (602)532-0137, ext. 402, [email protected] directly with questions, or the MSP program manager, Sheri Warren, at (602) 532-0137, [email protected] to join. *Brooks, T., Heberlein, M., & Fu, J. Dismantling CHIP in Arizona: How Losing KidsCare Impacts a Childs Health Care Costs.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:49:54 +0000
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