The Upper Peninsula Health Access Coalition (UPHAC), a nonprofit corporation established in 2004, is an alliance of and support organization for five rural Local Access Coalitions working to promote access to quality health care for all residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. UPHAC’s mission is to “mobilize, support and be a unified voice for the Local Access Coalitions through collaboration, education and advocacy.”
The Upper Peninsula acquired funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration Healthy Communities Access Program (HCAP) in September 2004 to develop a volunteer medical provider program for low-income uninsured U.P. residents. This effort sought to replicate a successful model, the Medical Care Access Coalition operating in Marquette County.
Since 2004, Access Coalitions emerged from community-based initiatives throughout Upper Michigan and now serve all 15 U.P. counties, representing more than 15,600 persons without insurance whose incomes fall below 200% of the federal poverty level.
The Five Access Coalitions comprising UPHAC’s membership are independent, non-profit organizations. Their medical access services form a referral and case management network which links volunteer providers, hospital-based and specialty care services, laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services to uninsured patients, within an overall scheme of shared responsibility for the uninsured. Each Access Coalition is governed by its own Board of Trustees; each is represented by at least two members on the UPHAC Board of Trustees.
To be eligible for Access Coalition enrollment and services, qualifying residents must be between the ages of 19 and 64, ineligible for Medicaid or other public assistance programs and must be uninsured or medically underserved, typically defined as low income (under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).
In 2005, UPHAC was awarded a three-year Network Development grant from the Office of Rural Health Policy to continue the work begun by the HCAP funding.
As a support and organizing body for Local Access Coalitions, UPHAC provides a common voice for assuring and facilitating access to care for the underserved and rendering services that are most efficiently and effectively completed at a centralized level while maximizing collaboration among Access Coalitions. It promotes the Access Coalitions’ volunteer provider network as a regional strategy and financing solution for addressing barriers to the current health care delivery system in the Upper Peninsula.
