Three Health Care Providers Pledge Support To Help Uninsured In Sacramento County

Three Sacramento County health care providers—Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento -- announced today they are continuing their commitment to help those in need by pledging support for Sacramento County’s new Low Income Health Program (LIHP.)

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the commitment of our three health systems to continually partner with one another and with our community health centers to expand the system of care,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, CEO of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. “We are proud of our role as health care providers to be here for anyone who needs care.”

The Low Income Health Program establishes a network of providers, from primary care and hospitals to laboratories and specialty care, to increase access to preventive care and help the uninsured and underinsured better understand how to access that care. Molina Healthcare will provide the administrative support and infrastructure, in addition to providing care in its clinics. This will support the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

“We want to connect people with the right care, at the right time, at the right place,” said Stephen Foerster, senior director of managed care for Dignity Health. “The program will work to coordinate patient care which should result in a lower cost of healthcare to the community, the county, and better outcomes for the people who matter the most --our patients.”

When patients receive care in a hospital emergency department or inpatient setting, hospital physicians and case managers will connect with the patients’ primary care physicians to talk about discharge orders and schedule a follow-up appointment at the time of the visit. This means that the patient has a designated place to go to get health care and someone there to help them access it.

"Preventive care has been a cornerstone of Kaiser Permanente’s model of care for more than 65 years,” said Patricia Rodriguez, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento. “We believe the Low Income Health Program is the right thing to do for the health and well-being of our community, and we are proud to collaborate on this important community health initiative.”

Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento  have been longstanding partners in delivering and building health care programs for the underinsured. Over the last five years, the three organizations have provided locally directed resources totaling more than $950 million in unreimbursed costs of Medi-Cal; more than $275 million in free care to those without health coverage; and invested more than $122 million in programs and services to expand health care to the uninsured and underinsured, including many prevention and wellness programs. There is also collective support to build the Federally Qualified Health Care system in Sacramento County.