UPMC for You, the Medicaid managed care plan of UPMC Health Plan, has partnered with Fabric Health to provide access to healthcare support services at laundromats in Pennsylvania. Fabric Health staff will assist UPMC for You members with healthcare-related concerns while they wait for their laundry. The initiative aims to help members navigate access to care and apply for coverage assistance programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Low Income Energy Assistance Program. The partnership comes at a time when maintaining and accessing healthcare coverage is crucial, as the continuous coverage provision for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries will end on April 1, 2023.
UPMC for You, the Medicaid managed care plan of UPMC Health Plan, has partnered with Fabric Health, a community-based organization, to offer access to healthcare support services at laundromats in Pennsylvania. The partnership aims to help UPMC for You members navigate access to care and apply for coverage assistance programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The initiative will equip selected laundromats with Wi-Fi access, allowing Fabric Health staff to assist people with healthcare-related concerns while they wait for their laundry. UPMC for You recognizes that more than 32 million Americans visit a laundromat each week, making it a convenient setting for members to connect with healthcare support.
The partnership reflects UPMC for You’s commitment to facilitating access to healthcare services and coverage in a community-based manner. The program will begin at laundromats in Edgewood, Mt. Washington, Shadyside, South Park Township, and West Mifflin. The collaboration comes at a critical time when maintaining and accessing healthcare coverage is crucial.
The continuous coverage provision enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries is ending on April 1, 2023, which may lead to coverage disenrollments for those no longer eligible or those who do not complete the renewal process. In response to this, UPMC for You is working with community partners, healthcare providers, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to inform members about renewals and the importance of completing the process on time.
John Lovelace, the president of UPMC for You and president of government programs for UPMC Health Plan, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with Fabric Health. “We are excited to partner with Fabric Health in this community-based effort to help busy—and often overwhelmed—individuals access the health and other supports they and their loved ones need, perhaps even literally while they are waiting for their clothes to dry,” he said in a press release.
Lovelace also noted that the partnership provides an avenue to assist those who may lose Medicaid coverage with the end of the continuous coverage requirement. Fabric Health staff can help those losing Medicaid find other coverage through CHIP or the Individual Marketplace and apply for other benefits. Members who lose Medicaid eligibility will receive information about how to apply for coverage from Pennie, Pennsylvania’s state-based marketplace.
Since 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has required Medicaid managed care organizations to work with community-based organizations to further value-based care delivery. UPMC for You’s partnership with Fabric Health is one way the managed care plan has worked with local organizations in line with this requirement.
Sally Kozak, deputy secretary of the Office of Medical Assistance Programs at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, praised the partnership. “The partnership between UPMC for You and Fabric Health is an innovative and effective way to ease barriers to support and help people navigate and get connected to services,” she said. “As we prepare for Medicaid renewals, creative partnerships to connect with and assist members will be important to keeping people connected to health care coverage.”
UPMC for You has a history of working with organizations to improve health outcomes for members. The health plan previously partnered with a meal delivery service to provide Medicaid beneficiaries with three meals daily for 13 weeks. Following the pilot program, participants saw a 31 percent decrease in emergency department use and a 36 percent decrease in median total healthcare costs.
