AtlantiCare President and CEO David Tilton recently shared details of the AtlantiCare Community Healthcare Access Program – or AtlantiCare CHAP. Funded by the AtlantiCare Foundation, the program is intended to assist residents of Atlantic, Cape May and southern Ocean counties who recently lost jobs at Atlantic City casinos. Director, Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Stefanie Mozgai, and Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian joined Tilton for the announcement at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus, Atlantic City.
“AtlantiCare has served our community since 1898,” said Tilton. “Sometimes it takes more than medicine to help us reach our vision of building healthy communities. True to our mission of delivering health and healing for all people, we evaluated how best to help our friends, family members and neighbors who have been impacted by the recent casino closures. That is why we have initiated AtlantiCare CHAP.”
For those who qualify, the program includes education, counseling and assistance around health insurance coverage and options; health insurance premium subsidy support; and a resolution for outstanding medical bills for services received from AtlantiCare before September 30th of this year. AtlantiCare will also make $500,000 in donations to charities that support residents in AtlantiCare’s service area, in addition to the nearly $400,000 in community benefit donations it makes annually.
“AtlantiCare’s Community Healthcare Access Program will serve as a vital lifeline to thousands of workers and their families,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd. “AtlantiCare is a treasured asset in its community–not only caring for patients but also caring for the greater needs of its community.”
“I applaud AtlantiCare for caring about those individuals who lost their jobs due to the recent closings of casinos,” said Atlantic City Mayor Guardian. “It’s a tough time for us who live in South Jersey, but when organizations like AtlantiCare step up to do what they can to ease the pain, we must thank them. Thank you, AtlantiCare.”
AtlantiCare CHAP support will be available to any resident of AtlantiCare’s service area, defined as Atlantic, Cape May, and southern Ocean counties, who was laid off within 60 days (pre and post) of the closing of The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, Revel Casino Hotel, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, or Showboat Atlantic City, who meets financial need criteria (household income below 400% of the federal poverty level) and does not have access to health insurance coverage or benefits/stipends. AtlantiCare is also extending support to employees of businesses that operated within any one or all of the above casinos. Dependents of eligible participants who are permanent residents in AtlantiCare’s service area and who are not covered by any other health plan or benefit/stipend are also eligible.
“AtlantiCare contributes nearly $400,000 to charitable organizations that share its vision of building healthy communities,” said Tilton. “This year, through the AtlantiCare CHAP program, the AtlantiCare will make a special corporate donation of an additional $500,000 to local charities that are likely to see increased demand for service as a result of these economic challenges our region is facing in light of the casino closures,” said Tilton.
The charities and amounts Tilton detailed are:
“As the state’s largest charitable provider of food for the hungry, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is deeply grateful for this very generous gift to support our food distribution programs,” said Evelyn Benton, executive director, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch, “It will go a long way in helping us respond to both the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the casino crisis.” Benton was among many representatives of the above charities who attended the announcement.
“As leaders in our region and of southeastern New Jersey’s largest healthcare provider, we believe we can make a difference one person at a time – especially for those who lost health insurance coverage due to the recent closures,” said Tilton. “It is our hope that AtlantiCare will inspire others to give what they can to local community charities so they are able to help our friends and neighbors.”
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