Outreach and Chelsea Hospital heading off changes to federal assistance projected for 2027

by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall

Against a profoundly uncertain backdrop of deep cuts to the federal social safety net, agencies committed to serving the most vulnerable are looking for partnerships to help them accomplish their missions.

Stockbridge Community Outreach maintains several of these collaborations, from food banks to Ingham County commissioners to area churches and organizations. But no joint effort is more important than the partnership between Outreach and Chelsea Hospital. Chelsea Hospital, co-owned by Trinity Health and the University of Michigan, provides substantial funding through its Community Health and Well-Being Program to cover operating costs at Stockbridge Community Outreach.

Concerned about restrictions to food assistance benefits and upcoming limitations to Medicaid, Outreach reached out to Chelsea Hospital to compare notes.

Chelsea Hospital President Ben Miles emphasized that Trinity Health has been a “thought leader” regarding changes to federal coverage coming in 2027 and has developed a plan to deal with them. Miles said this plan is outlined in an online article by Dr. Chiquita Berg, in which she explains an approach dubbed “Coverage is Care.” In short, Berg describes Coverage is Care as a patient-centered initiative to help eligible people stay covered and connected to care by making Medicaid changes easier to understand and overcoming avoidable barriers, thus maintaining their healthcare coverage.

Working alongside Outreach and other community partners, the approach aims to reduce confusion and strengthen access to care in 2027.

Core elements of Trinity Health Michigan’s “Coverage is Care” approach

• Early awareness: Helping people understand that changes are coming—before paperwork is missed or coverage is interrupted.
• Clear guidance: Helping patients and community members better understand what may be changing, why it matters and where to go for reliable next steps.
• Support when barriers arise: Coverage is Care is intended to help people break through barriers, such as confusion, literacy, language, technology access, or life circumstances, that make the process harder to navigate.
• Community partnerships: Working alongside community partners, like Outreach, to help reach people throughout the Chelsea Hospital service area. Working with those partners to strengthen and increase community access points for guidance and support.

Strong partnerships expand reach, particularly for patients who may not regularly engage with healthcare, but who may come to places like Outreach for food or other assistance.

Chelsea Hospital’s Community Health & Well-Being program, led by Director Kate Yocum, recognizes that the hospital needs local, on-the-ground, community connections in order to reach people who may not know how to access health services.

So, beyond funding that helps Outreach keep its doors open and lights on, Chelsea Hospital’s Community Health & Well-Being program has placed a community health worker, Kara Kestner, in the Outreach office every Wednesday. Kestner helps Stockbridge-area people navigate the many online systems, access resources such as food and housing, and maintain active status in programs for which they are eligible—like Medicaid.

“Outreach and Chelsea Hospital both have primary goals to serve the underserved and the most vulnerable,” said Yocum. “We will meet people where they are and walk with them through the doors to get what they need.”

Medicaid changes anticipated for 2027 include more frequent eligibility checks and new administrative requirements that could make it easier to lose coverage due to missed paperwork or misunderstandings—even among people who remain eligible. Yocum explained that her team wants to work to eliminate all the barriers to care and to help clients prepare for 2027.

“The stakes are high,” notes the Trinity Health website. “Coverage disruptions can lead to delayed care, worsening health conditions, increased uncompensated care, and greater strain on the healthcare ecosystem.”

Chelsea Hospital’s president confirmed the hospital’s desire to work with organizations like Outreach: “Our mission won’t change with the changes in funding,” said Miles. “But we’re not trying to do this on our own. Where there’s an opportunity to partner with like-minded organizations, we want to take advantage of that. We can help each other meet our missions.”