20th Anniversary

After months of collaboration and planning, Toledo/Lucas County CareNet became incorporated on December 16, 2002. The charity care network enrolled its first client exactly a month later, bringing the brainchild of the late Toledo Mayor Jack Ford to life.

In the first two decades, CareNet enrolled more than 28,800 unduplicated Lucas County residents without health coverage into the charity care network and connected them to a medical home. CareNet partners with more than 200 volunteer specialty care physicians to provide members with services for free or at a reduced cost. The charity care network also includes 7 hospitals and 15 clinics.

This video explains CareNet’s early history and includes interviews with members.

After advocating for Medicaid expansion at the state level, CareNet added services to help people enroll in and use their coverage, as well as get connected to needed medical and social services. In CareNet’s first two decades, approximately 1,200 residents received free care coordination services by working one-on-one with a community health worker (CHW). And thousands of northwest Ohioans received free assistance enrolling in coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid.

Here are a few key dates in CareNet’s 20-year history:

• • December 16, 2002: Incorporated
  • December 17, 2002: First Board meeting
  • January 16, 2003: First CareNet member enrolled
  • 2013-2017: Served as a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services navigator entity to help northwest Ohioans enroll in coverage.
  • 2015 to present: Begins offering care coordination services to help clients use their newfound coverage and connect to other services, including housing, transportation and food.
  • 2017-2021: With less federal funding for navigation services, served as a certification application counselor entity to help Lucas County residents enroll in federal Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid coverage.
  • 2021 to present: Again serves as a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services navigator entity to help northwest Ohioans enroll in coverage.