TAMPA — Hillsborough County wants to broaden the safety net offered to its medically needy residents.
Wednesday, commissioners unanimously agreed to expand their health care plan for low-income residents and to begin offering dental services as part of the program.
“People are going to qualify for this who are falling through the cracks,” said Commissioner Harry Cohen. “This is just a great holiday gift to our entire community.”
The program served an average of 14,286 people each month in 2020, a 621-person increase over the prior year.
The current income eligibility limit for a single person is $1,481 a month. That will increase to $1,878 under the new guidelines, which push the income cap from 138 percent of the federal poverty level to 175 percent. The change is effective Jan. 1. Dental care will be capped at $2,500 annually.
The program is for people who do not qualify for other government-funded health care plans or the Affordable Care Act. In 2020, 95 percent of the participants were adults living in households without children, and only 21 percent were employed. The cost of patient care was nearly $72 million.
The only public dissent came from physician Jim Davison, who suggested the county delay the expansion and instead spend money on outreach screenings to better connect with people who don’t know they are eligible.
“I don’t think there is anyone out there that would complain that someone making $22,000 a year needs a little help and deserves some health care from the plan,” Davison said to the board.
But commissioners weren’t interest in a delay for the program, which has been funded with a half-cent sales tax since 1991. The actuarial firm Lewis & Ellis projected increased sales tax revenue will help cover the expansion costs.
With more residents covered and the added dental costs, the firm projected a likely $42.6 million reduction to the program’s trust fund balance over the next five years. That would still leave a $172 million balance in 2026.
The program’s roots trace to the late Phyllis Busansky, who as a commissioner championed creation of the indigent health care plan more than 30 years ago. Cohen and Commissioner Pat Kemp both cited Busansky’s legacy in voting to expand the program.
Commissioner Gwen Myers, who advocated for the new income guidelines and added dental care, also asked the county staff to promote the changes to encourage more residents to take advantage of the program.
The 2020 annual report for the health care plan said it provided $114.5 million to the community and its health care providers, including payments for patient care and mandated matches for Medicaid. Its network includes 13 hospitals, 31 primary care clinics and more than 3,000 specialists. It also provided $3.5 million for the trauma center at Tampa General Hospital.