St. Louis Gateway to Better Health program with NEMT and mobile clinic extended, St. Louis, MO, 2017

The Gateway to Better Health pilot program is a temporary program for residents of St. Louis City and County, and it intends to provide uninsured adults healthcare coverage as a “bridge” until they can enroll through the Affordable Care Act. In 2017, the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, the Bi-State Development Research Institute, and the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health together were awarded a grant from the FTA Rides to Wellness Demonstration and Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility grant program in the amount of $940,000. This grant enabled the Gateway to Better Health pilot program – which launched service operating in the St. Louis area in July 2012 – to continue service through 2022.

In addition to covering costs for primary, specialty and urgent care services for individuals earning an income up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, the Gateway program also includes free non-emergency medical transportation to and from such covered medical appointments. Furthermore, this federal funding is also facilitating a mobile clinic to provide health screenings such as blood pressure and cholesterol tests at various public transit stations in north St. Louis County. This mobile clinic will serve the healthcare needs of public transit riders along their route.