Imagine losing access to the health insurance you rely on for managing your health—making it harder to see your doctor, fill prescriptions, and access the care you need. For many Montgomery County residents, this is their daily experience—or may soon be.
In a November 2025 briefing to the Montgomery County Council, County officials noted that adult participants who had gained access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion were vulnerable to changes in Medicaid work requirements. They estimated around 3,000 County residents would ultimately lose Medicaid eligibility, while more than 20,000 would experience coverage disruptions related to new administrative requirements.
On top of these changing policies, Montgomery County hospitals see a significant number of uninsured and self-pay patients in their Emergency Departments (EDs) every year. Between October 2022 and September 2025, County hospitals saw an average of 25,000 uninsured or self-pay patients in the ED each year. As Medicaid eligibility changes take effect, even more residents may turn to emergency departments for health concerns that could otherwise be managed through a primary care provider, such as treatment for minor infections.
Recently awarded grants from the Maryland Department of Health Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and from the Community Health Resources Commission will allow the Primary Care Coalition (PCC) to navigate uninsured county residents toward the healthcare safety net and local healthcare access programs. This navigation work will help keep essential medical care affordable and accessible for neighbors earning low incomes. At the same time, it will also minimize the strain felt by hospitals, as high numbers of avoidable ED visits contribute to longer wait times and rising costs.
Under the program, hospitals will refer uninsured patients who present to the ED for contact by PCC’s Patient Navigator. The navigator will support patients in scheduling their first two primary care appointments at a local safety net health center and will assist eligible patients with enrollment in County healthcare access programs.
PCC will also work to address another critical health need: food security. Hospitals are currently mandated to screen inpatients for social needs, but not all patients are being screened in ED settings. “Hospital policies and practices vary for conducting social needs screening in the emergency department, which means we may be missing patients whose health problems include problems accessing healthy food,” explains Rachel Lee, PCC’s Director of Community Resilience and program lead. Patient Navigators will help close this gap by providing a food security assessment for patients who have not already completed one in the EDs. For those who report problems accessing food, the Navigator will connect them with food resources, including referrals to county food access partners, food distribution programs, and enrollment support for SNAP or other applicable nutrition benefits.
This initiative is about more than referrals and appointments; it's about helping people feel supported during a challenging transition. By connecting residents to healthcare and food resources, PCC and partners are helping ensure that a temporary setback doesn't become a long-term barrier to health and well-being.
The views presented here are those of the grantee organization and not necessarily those of the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, its Executive Director, or its staff.
In a November 2025 briefing to the Montgomery County Council, County officials noted that adult participants who had gained access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion were vulnerable to changes in Medicaid work requirements. They estimated around 3,000 County residents would ultimately lose Medicaid eligibility, while more than 20,000 would experience coverage disruptions related to new administrative requirements.
On top of these changing policies, Montgomery County hospitals see a significant number of uninsured and self-pay patients in their Emergency Departments (EDs) every year. Between October 2022 and September 2025, County hospitals saw an average of 25,000 uninsured or self-pay patients in the ED each year. As Medicaid eligibility changes take effect, even more residents may turn to emergency departments for health concerns that could otherwise be managed through a primary care provider, such as treatment for minor infections.
Recently awarded grants from the Maryland Department of Health Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and from the Community Health Resources Commission will allow the Primary Care Coalition (PCC) to navigate uninsured county residents toward the healthcare safety net and local healthcare access programs. This navigation work will help keep essential medical care affordable and accessible for neighbors earning low incomes. At the same time, it will also minimize the strain felt by hospitals, as high numbers of avoidable ED visits contribute to longer wait times and rising costs.
Under the program, hospitals will refer uninsured patients who present to the ED for contact by PCC’s Patient Navigator. The navigator will support patients in scheduling their first two primary care appointments at a local safety net health center and will assist eligible patients with enrollment in County healthcare access programs.
PCC will also work to address another critical health need: food security. Hospitals are currently mandated to screen inpatients for social needs, but not all patients are being screened in ED settings. “Hospital policies and practices vary for conducting social needs screening in the emergency department, which means we may be missing patients whose health problems include problems accessing healthy food,” explains Rachel Lee, PCC’s Director of Community Resilience and program lead. Patient Navigators will help close this gap by providing a food security assessment for patients who have not already completed one in the EDs. For those who report problems accessing food, the Navigator will connect them with food resources, including referrals to county food access partners, food distribution programs, and enrollment support for SNAP or other applicable nutrition benefits.
This initiative is about more than referrals and appointments; it's about helping people feel supported during a challenging transition. By connecting residents to healthcare and food resources, PCC and partners are helping ensure that a temporary setback doesn't become a long-term barrier to health and well-being.
The views presented here are those of the grantee organization and not necessarily those of the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, its Executive Director, or its staff.
RSS Feed