Tri-County Project Care helps the uninsured

“Our nation’s healthcare system is broken,” declares Robert “Casey” Fitts, MD, a local practicing surgeon who sought a sabbatical from operating to be a part of the solution to the problems he saw daily. For example:
• Only 55 percent of private employers in South Carolina offer health insurance to their employees.
• 85 percent of uninsured Americans live in a household with a working adult.
• A lack of health insurance results in decreased productivity, wage reductions, and a weakened South Carolina labor force.
• In 2007, South Carolina hospitals provided $1.3 billion in unreimbursed services, creating an overwhelming burden on health systems and taxpayers (Access Health SC).
To address some of these astounding statistics, Fitts started Tri-County Project Care, a nonprofit, community-based organization that offers high-quality care to working uninsured in Charleston, Berkley, and Dorchester Counties without access to government or commercial insurance. That population represents 35,000 of the Tri-County population to date.
TCPC is an Innovative, Community-Based Solution
“The Tri-County Project Care model replaces the traditional disease-based reimbursement model with a focus on preventative care and wellness. With the old system, when someone is sick, you fix them, but at a high price. Instead, we focus on preventative care and as a result, high-cost diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are less prevalent and patient visits to the ER are less frequent,” explains Dr. Donaldson.

TCPC’s results are impressive:
• Preventative care and lifestyle changes reduce the likelihood of high-cost diseases.
Program results to Funders and legislators have been reported as follows:
- Over $30 million in healthcare services provided over the last 6 years.
- $1000 per member/per year decrease in hospital charges due to decrease in ER visits, admissions and length of stay per admission.
- $800 per member/per year decreases in costs for member’s second year in the program.
- Improved mental wellbeing and functional status for members.
- Empowerment of members after one year of enrollment; including 17% obtained commercial insurance, 10% became eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and 5% ineligible because of income increase over 200% FPL.
- Employer benefits are increased productivity and ability to recruit and retain good workers.

Through TCPC, employers of low-income workers are finally able to offer healthcare benefits, which increases employee productivity and satisfaction. “I could never insure myself,” says Jewell Napier, who is enrolled in TCPC through her employer. “In the food and beverage industry, if you miss too much work because of an illness, you’re out of a job. Now that I have a regular physician, I’m healthier and my job is more secure.”