CareLink – Public Health Coverage By Elizabeth Allen

CareLink – Public Health Coverage

By Elizabeth Allen

Over the past 25 years, our understanding of effective, meaningful public health service has evolved, and CareLink has evolved with it. CareLink is one of the foundational pillars of public health in Bexar County, and since 1997 the financial assistance program has connected qualifying Bexar County residents to care.

A core element of public health is equitable access to care, said Christine Gonzalez, PharmD, CareLink Director of Medical Management. “CareLink promotes public health by providing affordable access to care, including preventive care, thus improving the health and overall well-being of our community,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody who joins CareLink selects a primary care provider and that gives them a medical home.”

Having a medical home means people have access to the kind of preventive care and screenings that can prevent serious illness or chronic diseases, meaning less cost in medical bills and a better health outcome. Also, they can be referred to specialized care without having to wait until they are sick enough to go to an emergency room. CareLink is not an insurance plan, but once enrolled our staff will work with a member to establish a monthly payment plan for medical expenses. Payment plans are based on total household income and the number of persons in the family. Bexar County residents with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and do not have access to affordable health coverage are eligible for this program.

In 2021, the average monthly enrollment in CareLink was 27,850 total members. Since Texas has not expanded Medicaid, many adults under 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) are left without coverage and they are a considerable portion of the uninsured and CareLink population. Without insurance coverage, buying medications can be out of reach for many people. CareLink helps members to get access by linking them to the patient assistance programs maintained by large drug companies. When people are eligible for other programs, like Medicaid or other insurance coverage through the health care exchange created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), CareLink helps them navigate their options and complete the needed paperwork for enrollment.

CareLink staff is always looking for opportunities to serve the community, like the recently renewed federal Connecting Kids to Coverage (CKC) grant that they’ve been using for five years to provide enrollment, and renewal assistance to children and their families, signing them up for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). At the end of the most recent grant period, staff exceeded their goals in both renewing and newly enrolling applicants. New results show that 2,594 more children in Bexar County have access to health care. The team has shared their successful practices in national webinars, so others can learn to extend these benefits to more families. Because of their success, the $1.5 million grant was just renewed for another three years, and for the first time can be used to help enroll expectant parents to promote improved maternal and infant health outcomes. The health picture is even bigger than that, though and CareLink also helps address different important health needs through multiple partnerships with other organizations, e.g., the San Antonio Food Bank, City Public Service (CPS) and San Antonio Water System (SAWS).

“We don’t provide every health need, but take a holistic approach to be able to link people to other health care needs like food security and utilities,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone who enrolls is screened for eligibility and need for these other programs.”

So, while CareLink originally began with the straightforward purpose of providing access to care, it provides more pieces of the public health puzzle, with screenings and affordability programs that address a broad array of health needs. “That has been an important evolution,” Gonzalez said.

Elizabeth Allen is the Director of External Communications at University Health.