YOUNGSTOWN G-A-P health program helps the uninsured

G-A-P Care is a discounted fee for services program, not insurance.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- G-A-P Care, a new low-cost health care program, aims to fill the gap for working families and individuals who do not have health insurance.
G-A-P (General-Affordable-Preventive), a program of the nonprofit Grace Place Medical Services, got under way Wednesday.
With G-A-P Care, adult members of families no longer have to put off regular checkups or other health care issues such as the flu, colds, sinus and skin infections and ankle sprains, Earl Runcan, Grace Place administrative director, said.
"Hopefully, the services this program offers will help fight off the potential for prolonged illnesses, which can lead to chronic illnesses and unnecessary extra sick days off from work each year," Runcan said.
Runcan emphasized that G-A-P Care is a "discounted fee for service" program, not an insurance product.
How it works
Under the program, employers and self-employed individuals can contract with G-A-P for health care services, paying $25 a month per single employee, and $40 a month per employee family, which includes spouse and dependents between the ages of 18 and 24 living in the same household. Unlimited office visits are available, but the patient must pay $10 for each visit, Runcan said.
Grace Place is now accepting uninsured employers and their employees, as well as uninsured self-employed individuals, for the G-A-P Care program.
At this point, Runcan said, G-A-P serves only adults. However, primary care is considered the front line for many aspects of health promotion and disease prevention. Therefore, Grace Place's ultimate goal is to provide G-A-P Care for the entire family, include pediatric services, as time and finances permit, Runcan said.
G-A-P Care does not offer emergency room care, surgical services and most other specialty services, such as heart, cancer, ob/gyn, dental and eye. Patients with those needs are referred to the proper source for specialty care, Runcan said.
"Grace Place is aware that G-A-P only scratches the surface of the health care needs of today's families. But, it sure beats the alternative of no health care benefit all," he said.
How to find out
Employers and the self-employed who are interested in participating in the G-A-P Care program, or who want additional information, can call Runcan at (330) 480-5800. They receive a packet of information, and as soon as they sign a contract, they are issued a G-A-P card and can receive services.
Statistics show that 2 to 3 percent of all employers nationwide either do not offer health care benefits or, if they do, choose to pay none of the premium for their employees. Extrapolated locally, that means that in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties, there are 4,700 to 7,000 working people without any health care benefits, Runcan said.
Grace Place's 2003 budget is $490,000, about 45 percent of which comes from donations from foundations, corporations, churches and individuals. The remainder of its revenue comes from fees for services provided, Runcan said.
Located in the Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave., Grace Place, a nonprofit faith-based adult primary health care facility, opened Feb. 1, 1999,
Federal designation
The area surrounding Oakhill Renaissance Place has been federally designated as a medically under-served area, based on infant mortality rates, the primary care physician to population ratio, the percentage of people at or below poverty level, and the number of people over the age of 65. Additionally, the entire city of Youngstown is federally designated as a health professional shortage area as well, Runcan said.
alcorn@vindy.com