Future of healthcare pilot project uncertain

A state run health care pilot project continues to struggle to get participants, and Governor Matt Mead recently wonders about its future. 

The Healthy Frontiers project helps low income people who don’t qualify for government assistance programs to get health careand gets people access to a doctor which is paid for by a health care savings account.  Governor Mead says a number of people have signed up for the program, only to drop out.

“We have people who may have to only have to contribute as little as 20 dollars a month to the health savings account, we have some of those folks who are not even able to do that.  There is concerns of some who need that type of program that they are not able to attend school the minimum amount of hours required.  So people have gotten into the program and dropped out of the program.”

Mead said Senator Charles Scott wants to add more money to the program in an effort to give it a boost.

“I’m not sure how that’s going to play in the legislature.  I know last year when I asked to continue to fund it, it was not necessarily easy sledding through the legislature.  So I think the program remains in doubt.”

Mead notes that other medical programs in the state are starting to develop plans to help people stay healthy, and admits that it might be worth giving some of those programs a closer look.