For people struggling to afford basic health insurance in Bartholomew County, the United Way is extending a helping hand.
The Premium Link Bartholomew County program helps individuals who qualify pay their health care premiums to avoid losing coverage.
The United Way of Bartholomew County created the assistance program because a high number of the organization’s clients were having a difficult time paying for medical coverage, said Joy King, United Way Volunteer Action Center director.
Many people she encounters either have no insurance or are forced to choose between preventative care and funding for a potential injury or other health emergency, King said.
“We had seen that over and over again with this demographic,” King said. “People had insurance plans — especially the elderly, who are on fixed incomes — where they were so worried about having a financial catastrophe happen to them. They wanted to have some form of health insurance they could afford, but they also couldn’t use their (existing) insurance.”
To alleviate the problem, Premium Link makes locally funded grants available to residents who qualify by subsidizing premium payments for Marketplace Silver Plan customers and HIP 2.0 Power account customers.
The standards are a way to target individuals most in need and help them maintain the everyday aspects of their health, such as checkups and medication refills, King said.
“This program is to help them be able to stay above water in their day to day life,” she said.
A godsend
Premium Link has been a godsend since her enrollment in 2017, one year after the program launched, said Edinburgh resident Chris Breedlove, one of 120 individuals who have been served by the program.
“Without United Way, I would not have health insurance, period,” she said. “In 2017, I could not have paid it, no matter what I did. And I had a lot of health issues. If it hadn’t been for them (United Way), I might be dead.”
Breedlove has worked at an Indianapolis machine and tool company for nearly two decades. When she was first employed, the company offered health insurance, she said. But her employer went through a downturn during the recession about 10 years ago and canceled its employee health insurance.
Although the company eventually reinstated its employee health coverage, the premiums were far above what Breedlove could afford to pay. She went five years without health insurance, she said, during which time her health rapidly declined.
“I was missing two or three days a week from work,” Breedlove said. “I have a heart condition, I have high blood pressure and diabetes.”
Breedlove also required back surgery, without which, she said, she was at risk for paralysis. Unable to address any of her conditions, Breedlove’s health worsened throughout 2016.
Concerned for her mother’s safety, Breedlove’s daughter got her in touch with WellConnect, a Columbus Regional Health office that connects struggling patients with health care providers.
Due to the high level of sick days she was taking due to her condition, Breedlove’s income was low enough that her WellConnect adviser suggested she go to the United Way to seek additional aid.
Breedlove’s type of situation was one she sees often at United Way, King said.
To ensure that the most vulnerable members of the population are served, poverty standards are in place that recipients must meet.
The Department of Health and Human Services updates federal poverty levels yearly, and participants in the program must fall in the 200 percent range of those standards to qualify.
For a household of one, the maximum annual income is $23,760. For a family of four, it’s $48,600, for example.
Because the federal government requires residents to have health care coverage, King often works with people who have no other choice than to factor health insurance costs in their already tight budget.
“They are hardworking individuals and they do everything they can to make ends meet,” King said. “With the rising cost of health care, they aren’t necessarily able to afford their premium payments.”
This was particularly true for Kim Burton of Taylorsville, another United Way client.
Making connection
“They (her insurance provider) kept raising my premium and it was getting to where I couldn’t afford it,” Burton said.
She sought out help from the VIMCare Clinic at Columbus Regional Health, formerly known as Volunteers in Medicine. Through VIMCare, she connected with CareSource and heard about the Premium Link program.
Had she not gotten in touch with United Way, Burton said she “probably had to let health insurance go.”
Burton said she recently got her nursing license reinstated and will soon start a healthcare position at a center in Franklin.
Her new job will allow her to pay her premium without the help of United Way, but Burton said is grateful for the aid she was given during her time of need.
“It has just been a blessing,” she said. “I hope they can keep doing this for people.”
Cliff Effect
Even with reliable employment, however, some recipients still need the program to get by.
When Breedlove first enrolled in Premium Link, her income was so low that United Way paid her entire monthly premium. Now, they share the expense. But because Breedlove will lose state assistance if she makes a certain amount of money, she cannot work as often as she would like.
Consequently, Breedlove struggles financially in other areas of her life.
“I had to go to four days a week, and keeping a car and a house and lights and food is almost impossible,” she said.
This is a common problem for people who receive benefits based on income, King said. Although able and willing to work more, participants will lose health insurance if they do not stay below certain income levels.
Without the government support, even an increased income is counterproductive if not large enough to cover premium costs.
“That’s called the Cliff Effect and it’s very common for people who are on social service. The more that you work, the more that you recede your social service benefits,” King said.
Breedlove said she is frustrated by the system and has friends in the same situation she found herself in, where steady work and income cannot coexist with health insurance.
“I’ve worked since I was 15. I’m 55. And if you have worked your whole entire life and you get to your 60s and your health deteriorates, the government should help you,” Breedlove said.
It is typical for people King works with to have jobs, but those jobs simply do not pay well enough for employees to afford the increasing cost of insurance on their own, she said.
“These are hardworking individuals that are really good at budgeting, and they know how to stretch a dollar,” King said.
That’s contrary to negative stereotypes about welfare recipients, she said.
“Poverty in our community seems to be hidden,” King said. “And I think that if we came together as a community, we could help the parts of Columbus that are marginalized. If we could increase the awareness of each other, just by having conversations and interacting and understanding each other, we could support each other better.”
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For more information about the Premium Link Bartholomew County program, visit premiumlinkbc.org.
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To qualify for Premium Link program, people must meet the following requirements:
- Reside in Bartholomew County
- Fall within income guidelines regarding family size as listed on your most recent tax return
- Have or qualify for insurance with a Marketplace Silver Plan or HIP 2.0/HIP PLUS Plan
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People who qualify for Premium Link medical insurance assistance can complete and submit an application via:
Email: [email protected]
In person: Joy King, United Way, 1531 13th St. Suite 1100
Phone: 812-314-2960
Online: PremiumLinkBC.org
Fax: 812-376-0019
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