Last year, 200 low income people who don’t qualify for health care benefits received care through a relatively new program at Southern Maine Health Care’s two campuses.

CarePartners, which has been offered in some other Maine counties for the past several years, became available in York County a year ago, delivering low cost or no cost health care and health care management through SMHC. Services are provided through partnerships with physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers and Maine Health, the parent corporation of SMHC.

The program bridges the gap for those who earn too much to qualify for MaineCare, which is the state’s name for the Medicaid program, and too little to attain coverage under the federal Affordable Health Care Act. SMHC spokeswoman Leslie Roberts said the typical CarePartners enrollee has a monthly income of about $1,700 and is not eligible for public or private insurance.

“Maine chose to not expand Medicaid to cover more low-income residents,” Roberts explained in an email. “With that said, there are adults who fall into the gap by earning too much to qualify for existing Medicaid programs but too little to qualify for federal financial help to buy private health insurance in the new (healthcare) marketplaces. Of course anyone can receive healthcare without insurance, but by doing so they will be billed accordingly.”

Since its inception in April of 2014, the program has connected 200 enrollees to more than $1.2 million in donated care. CarePartners, which offers services from doctor visits to medical tests and more, can accommodate up to 300 enrollees through a grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation.

“This program removes the pressure of not being insured and (allows) an enrollee a proactive approach to their unique healthcare,” Roberts further said.

According to the Maine Health website, CarePartners offers regular checkups and care when an enrollee is sick, affordable prescription medications, lab, x-ray and hospital services and referrals to other services and resources.

Locally, folks who think they might qualify should call program case manager Meghan McAvoy at 490- 7962.

“I have seen firsthand how this program has positively impacted the health of hundreds of individuals,” said Nate Brough, program coordinator of the York County CarePartners program. “CarePartners is successful because of the dedicated efforts of physicians and other healthcare providers, and we are grateful for their commitment to helping patients access the care they need.”

Roberts said studies have found that CarePartners is successful in lowering the rate of hospitalizations and emergency room visits for its enrollees compared to typical Medicaid patients.

An enrollee identified as “Earl A.” in a hospital news release about the program said CarePartners has allowed him and his wife to feel more confident in their health care and their futures.

In addition to York County, the wider CarePartners program serves residents of Cumberland, Kennebec, Lincoln, and Waldo counties.

Since 2009, SMHC has also been home to MedAccess, a program that helps people without adequate prescription coverage get free or low cost medications. Roberts said more than 4,200 people in York County have been referred to MedAccess and more than $31.1 million in medications have been dispensed.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.