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TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI -­
Residen in two of Mississippi'
medically underserved and
economically depressed coun­
ties, Tunic and Marsh ll,
received free medical screening
from docto I associated with the
ational Medical Association in
ovember.
MAt which repre ent
early all of the country's 16,000
Black phy ician, creened
I,OOO citizens in each county.
This is the first time that NMA
ponsored a health screening
program in Mississippi. The
creening was sponsored by
MA nd orth Mississippi
Rural Legal Service
Explaining the purpose of the
screening project, NMA's preis­
dent, Dr. John E. Joyner,
declared: "There is a great em­
p . on hunger and poverty in
the third world, but we do no
seem to recognize and realize
that e have these problems
here at home. I am strongly con­
cerned that we should be ad­
dressing our own needs much
closer to us."
"I want to make sure that we
begin to address these (health)
problems and dig in and do
something concrete with the
problems that f ce," dded
the Indianapoli b sed
neur urgeon who recently
elected president of the NMA.
Poor medical services are
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LANSING - Some of the es­
tim ted 900 000 working poor in
Michigan may be helped soon if
a pilot program to get health in­
surance to them is successful.
The Michigan League for
Human Services, among other
organizations, is involved in a
pilo program to help improve
acces to health care for in­
dividu 1 a d families not
receiving any assistance.
Two counties in Michigan,
Marquette and Genesee, hav
been chosen to help develop and
study possible ways to help get
insurance for those ho need it.
e will take a look at the
situation in the two counties,"
said Peggy Kapuscinski, of the
Medicaid information division,
to try to see what works.
In Genesee County more
than 10,000 individuals will be
helped by the project, and
around 400 people from Mar­
quette County will take part in
the program.
About $9 million a year will
be used to run the program for
health services, along with other
money that comes in from
various sources.
The program will provide op­
portunities for people working
off welfare to afford coverage,
said Vernon Smith, director of
the project.
"People on public assistance
may leave welfare and be on
commonpl ce in both com­
munities. The counties do no
have obstetrical or gynecologi­
cal services. The lack of these
services has created problems
for omen who must travel great
distances to have children.
Poverty is also a serious mat­
ter. In Tunica, the poorest
county in the nation, 52.9 per­
cent of the residents have in­
comes below poverty level. In
Contin 0 20
Pilot
project
will telt
jobs, and return to welfare,"
Smith said. About 80 percent
ere on job without assistance,
e added.
The program, if u sful,
would help bre that link and
make available more health in­
surance, said Smith.
"It's never been tried before,"
noted Smith, who acknow­
ledged that the program was one
of 15 successful applicants for
the funds from the Robert
Wood foundation.
Smith said jobs in the coun­
ties will be checked to see if
people are getting health care
and if not, then they will try to
get it provided for them.
A marketing person will tell
employers about the plan and
that it will be subsidized by the
foundation for the busin and
the employees.
"The problem is gaining at­
tention," said Kapuscinski, "and
getting people off welfare who
don"t have insurance."
Health care in Michigan is an
option, and this project will pay
one-half of the premium for
employees for one year to get
employers interested in provid­
ing for their orkers.
Smith thinks that once in­
surance is made ttractive to
employers, they will continue is
for the employees once the
program ends.
Smith also finds th t some
employers don't provide in­
urance even though it is avail­
able to them and affordable.
One plan being tried in May
is the one-third share pi n,
which will have the employer,
employee, and the program p y
a subsidy of an equal whare for
the premium for health in-
ur nee if it is up to the
Con ued on 20
