Mountain Family Health Centers is having a hard time making ends meet in Eagle County

The loss of federal money in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and reclassification of Medicaid funding have hit hard at Mountain Family Health Centers.

That organization, which serves patients in Eagle, and Garfield counties, has had to make cutbacks in both its facilities and services in the past year as funds have dried up. Meanwhile, the demand for services is increasing.

Mountain Family Health Centers CEO Dustin Moyer and Chief Financial Officer Steve Leazer Tuesday talked about the organization’s work during a work session with the Eagle County Board of Commissioners.

The organization is known as a “Federally Qualified Health Center,” meaning it can accept Medicaid and Medicare patients, as well as those with private insurance. The organization provides medical, dental and behavioral health services, with discounted care for those who qualify.

Leazer told the commissioners that visits from uninsured patients have been growing by 5% per year since 2019, leading to a $760,000 loss in 2024.

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The clinic in Gypsum accounted for 1,800 of those visits from uninsured patients, with a total of 21,599 visits from uninsured patients at all locations.

The redetermination of Medicaid patients in 2023 dropped roughly 2,000 patients from the rolls, leading to many of those uninsured patient visits.

But the organization still sees everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

Moyer told the commissioners that the organization tries to find coverage for those without insurance. In addition, Moyer said the organization partners with other nonprofit groups to help clients experiencing food, housing and clothing insecurity.

Mountain Family can provide care at a lower total cost than independent practices. Care for Medicaid patients through Mountain Family costs an average of $4,021 per year, compared to just more than $7,000 per year through providers that aren’t Federally Qualified Health Centers. That’s thanks to care coordination and what Moyer called a “person-centered approach.”

But, Moyer added, Mountain Family is currently in a period of “uncertainty” because of federal actions including freezes on federal funding. Those freezes represent between 11 and 12% of Mountain Family’s budget, he said.

Due to funding cuts, Moyer said Mountain Family has had to reduce its services from its behavioral health team. The organization has also had to close its school-based centers at Basalt Elementary School and Basalt High School, with services moved to a hub in Basalt.

Another problem Mountain Family is facing is people not coming in due to their immigration status. While Moyer said the organization serves everyone who comes in without question, he added that an increasing number of people are forgoing care and going to emergency rooms — the most costly care.

In discussing various ways to get people enrolled in various programs through the county’s Department of Human Services, including Cover all Coloradans and MyFriendBen, Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney noted that adjusting Mountain Family’s payer mix also includes reminding people that their private insurance works at the organization.

“If you’re in the market for a primary care provider, we’d love to serve you,” Moyer said.