MetroHealth, the county’s safety-net hospital, will provide health coverage for up to 30,000 uninsured people under a program that starts this week. It’s open to Cuyahoga residents who will qualify for Medicaid coverage in 2014.
MetroHealth’s John Corlett says the 1-year program will give the county a head-start on the state’s Medicaid expansion.
CORLETT: We have a lot of uninsured adults in Cuyahoga County and this program can provide help for people today and then prepare them for full state Medicaid coverage in 2014.
New enrollees will be paired with a primary care team that will coordinate all their healthcare. Services will include things like preventive exams, dental care, and mental health services.
The program is funded by money from the county’s human services levy and matching funds from the federal government.