Cost of Healthcare Services, Health Insurance, and Dental Care

Goal Statement: Everyone, regardless of age and identity, is connected to a full range of primary medical and dental services that are affordable, available, accessible, accommodating, and acceptable.

“Two thirds of respondents with household income less than $50K indicated difficulty accessing one or more type of health or human service in the past year.”
—UVCHNA 2022

How is this problem affecting our community?

What are we doing to address this problem in our community?

Collaboration and Service Improvement

Expand access to free healthcare services with the new Good Neighbor Health Clinic in Lebanon.
Increase workforce development opportunities for early career Dental Assistants with training programs at HACTC and preceptorships with local dental practices.
Facilitate a process to improve navigation of health insurance options, social service programs, and other resources available to people in need to identify and close gaps.
Implement or create a tool to increase access to information and increase coordination among providers.
To increase the connection of individuals aged 50+ to needed resources in the region

Image by storyset on Freepik

Education

Engage Town Welfare Officers in discussion around the importance of addressing health care costs and referral for support during bi-annual meetings facilitated by the PHC.

Image by pch.vector on Freepik

Advocacy

Host Bi-State Legislative Breakfast every two years to engage state policy makers in discussion of local health priorities.
Promote the value of Community Paramedicine Programs and advocate for insurance reimbursement for these community-based services.
Promote alternative approaches to fund health and dental care for un- and under-insured people.

Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

Equity

Offer free flu vaccine clinics and COVID-19 vaccine clinics in community settings to reduce barriers to receiving vaccines.
Offer free dental services in school-based dental clinics.
Conduct a systematic review of health care and behavioral health care access in the Upper Valley from the perspective of traditionally marginalized groups and their overall wellbeing.
Increase capacity of grassroots and small organizations representing people with lived experience of health inequities to address the concerns of their communities independently through grantmaking and technical assistance.