GARY | The streets of Gary were rumbling from the roar of a NASCAR engine Thursday morning. Methodist Hospitals brought the Aflac racing team's No. 99 NASCAR racecar to its Northlake Campus in order to promote the "Race to Health" initiative. The car was relocated to Merrillville's South Lake Campus for a similar event in the afternoon.

The goal of the "Race to Health" campaign is to promote alternative health care coverage to underserviced communities in Northwest Indiana.

The hospital hosted a health fair at both campuses to kick off the initiative. Representatives from Hoosier Health Wise, Health Indiana Program (HIP), MDWise Hoosier Alliance and other insurance providers were on hand to inform the public about their health coverage options.

Speaking at a news conference prior to the event, state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary., spoke about the importance of closing the health coverage disparities that exist within the minority community, as well as other underserved populations.

Brown said that the HIP was designed to include 103,000 participants annually, but only 50,000 people have registered and been accepted into the program. A way of decreasing the health coverage disparity issue, according to Brown, is to help make minority and underprivileged populations aware of the program.

"We need to make sure that people know there are these opportunities to get coverage so we can reduce the strain on our emergency rooms, where people with out insurance coverage primarily get their medical treatment" Brown said.

In order to qualify for HIP, a single individual has to earn less then $20,400 a year. A family of two can earn up to $27,360 annually. A family of five can earn up $48,240 annually. The coverage is for the adult members of a household who are not currently insured.

Children can receive coverage from the Hoosier Health Wise program.

Lake County's Hoosier Health Wise and HIP plans are operated out of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Northern Indiana Community Resource Center, located at 51 W. 78th Place, Merrillville, or call the resource center toll-free at (866) 724-6533.