Washtenaw County practices that serve the uninsured receive thousands in donations
Free bicycle helmets for children and medical care for the homeless are just a few ways donations in 2010 have been used to help Washtenaw County individuals without private insurance.
A number of practices serving the uninsured have received corporate gifts recently.
Packard Health won $20,000 from Thomson Reuters in October after a local Reuters employee submitted an application under an international corporate giving program, development director Deborah VandenBroek said.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan donated $15,000 each to free clinics throughout Michigan. Locally, those include the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County in Ann Arbor, which is affiliated with the Delonis Center; Hope Medical Clinic in Ypsilanti and Chelsea Grace Clinic.
Packard Health, a non-profit primary care practice with two Ann Arbor locations, will use its Reuters grant to offset costs associated with providing care to the underinsured and uninsured. Those with little or no insurance make up about half of Packard Health’s patients.
The latest gift follows a $10,000 sponsorship of the practice’s annual Youth Health Fair and Be Well Block Party in June, as well as many volunteer hours by 100 Reuters employees.
Each year at that event, ”We see about 150 children for physicals, immunizations, vision screening , dental checks, and help families needed to be enrolled in Medicaid,” VandenBroek said.
Free clinics in Pinckney, Brighton and Jackson also received $15,000 grants under the BCBS grant program called Strengthening the Safety Net. It has awarded more than $1 million to free clinics across the state through its initiative, according to a press release.
Juliana Keeping is a health and environment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
clownfish
Wed, Nov 10, 2010 : 8:29 a.m.
If BCBS of MI REALLY wants to help, they could lower the pay of the top ten administrators, lowering premiums or giving that money directly to more providers. In his second year as chief executive officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Daniel Loepp earned $1,657,555, a 67% raise over his $999,351 salary and compensation in 2006, the company's 2007 financial records show. Both figures are well above the national average for insurance CEOs. Other large increases last year at Blue Cross went to George Francis III, the company's former senior vice president, who received an 83% raise, bringing his compensation to $1,380,322, and Kathy Elston, former vice president for employee services, with a 155% raise, from $383,453 to $979,434 in 2007. http://tinyurl.com/269s7m3
NBH
Wed, Nov 10, 2010 : 8:21 a.m.
Many,many private practices in Ann Arbor area donate patient services. I know of several that donate significantly more than 15,000 a year. They do it as a community service,there is no tax write-off,just helping people.
obviouscomment
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 11:24 p.m.
Too bad they missed the Corner Health Center on Huron St in Ypsi. They provide free health care, counseling, and some other general necessities to teenagers up to 21 years old (i think 21 is the age) and their children.
Chrysta Cherrie
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 5:35 p.m.
Comments discussing health care practices in other countries, and other off-topic matters, as well as one containing a personal attack, have been removed.
Speechless
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 1:59 p.m.
Blue Cross Blue Shield benefits from the current health care arrangements in our country. They would prefer to maintain the status quo for as long as that's possible and also profitable. As it stands, the economics work for them. Yet they also understand that the tens of millions who remain uninsured, along the the greater — and quickly expanding — number of underinsured, represent a ticking time bomb to their interests. Eventually, the massive failure of private insurance to provide adequate, affordable care to the great bulk of people in this land may well become socially and politically unsustainable. America may at last seriously consider single-payer. So, granted, the generosity of the Blues to many free clinics throughout the state is certainly worthwhile and badly needed right now. But do keep in mind that the sizeable total donation from BCBS not only aids the poor and improves corporate image. Not insignificantly, it also modestly reduces the deep social frustration over this nation's continued and stubborn refusal to join the rest of the developed world by enacting universal health care for all. Donations that assist those abandoned by our health care industry thus help to 'insure' BCBS's long-term existence, kind of like a life insurance policy for the corporation. That is, they could delay the feared arrival of single-payer.
Atticus F.
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:50 a.m.
Good Point Ignatz. I should also say God bless these clinics! I'm pledging to make a donation to Hope Clinic this year, and encourage others to do the same.
Ignatz
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:47 a.m.
Atticus F.: I do agree with what other industrial nations do and wish we did the same. For one thing, it would make our manufaturing sector more competative. I value, however, that we would take better care of our fellow citizens. However, our Euro-friends don't fund war for oil, er, I mean democracy, to the extent we do. We have the priveledge of being a great power by killing innocent people. And that, my friend, costs money.
Atticus F.
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:34 a.m.
You shpould also note that Europeans live longer than us, and get to retire at age 60...So please enjoy your early death as you work until age 67 for you corporate masters!
Atticus F.
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
XMO, in europe, they are able to provide everybody with health care, and their economy hasn't collapsed. As a matter of fact, it's doing better than ours. there is simply too much coruption in the private sector in this country.
xmo
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:22 a.m.
With all of these private donations why is the government involved with helping out the poor? Couldn't the private sector do it cheaper and better?