United Way, Kaiser partner to help uninsured in 5 counties

The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia are working together to improve access to health care for residents in five Georgia counties.

Kaiser donated $150,000 to help community-based projects in Butts, Cherokee, Douglas, Fayette and Rockdale counties. The money will target initiatives aimed at helping the uninsured and underinsured gain access to primary care services.

“We know here in metro Atlanta that there are still disparities in the health arena, both in terms of access and the utilization of services,” said United Way President Milton J. Little Jr. In Rockdale County, for example, people with little or no coverage were “flooding” the hospital’s emergency department because many lacked access to alternative service providers, he said.

To help alleviate that problem, part of the grant — $30,000 — will be used to help open the Mercy Heart Clinic, which should reduce the number of emergency room visits, said Evonne Yancey, director of Kaiser’s community benefits and community affairs.

In 2007, there were 1.64 million Georgians who lacked health insurance, according to a recent Georgia State University report on sources of health insurance coverage in the state.