Project Access Lancaster County:
Helping people when they need it most
It’s all about breaking down roadblocks and providing complete healthcare to Lancaster County residents who cannot afford it.
Driven and developed by local physicians, Project Access Lancaster County (PALCO) is designed to help low-income, uninsured people who do not qualify for government assistance.
The program encourages patients to build and maintain an ongoing relationship with their healthcare providers so they receive consistent, quality care. The intent is to help people get through challenging financial times without sacrificing their health.
Already, more than 625 doctors affiliated with all four Lancaster County hospitals, including Lancaster General, are participating in the program.
With most county family medicine doctors and specialists involved, physicians are hopeful that more uninsured patients will seek preventive health services, and that they will follow through with specialized care, regardless of their ability to pay.
“This is a big help for people who lose their health insurance,” says Ray Foley, MD, from Regional Gastroenterology Associates of Lancaster, and a founding member of PALCO and member of the Board and Physician Recruiting Committee. “It will keep people from being overburdened with medical bills while they are getting their feet back on the ground, or just postponing care altogether.”
Many uninsured people only seek medical care when they come to the emergency department or doctor’s office for a crisis. “But then that’s the last care they usually receive until the next medical crisis,” says Bret Daniels, a physician at Twin Rose Primary Healthcare in Columbia and Wrightsville (a Lancaster General physician group) – also a founding member who serves on the PALCO Steering Committee. “In the long run, that’s the most ineffective and most costly form of healthcare.”
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Dr. Ray Foley and Dr. Brett Daniels are
founding members of the Project Access
Lancaster County board, encouraging
county doctors to participate in the program
that provides healthcare for people who
otherwise could not afford the coverage. |
Preserving patient dignity
The PALCO program is an alternative to the creation of a free clinic for patients operated by volunteer doctors. It offers patients consistent care close to home. “With a free clinic, you never know who the doctor will be,” Dr. Daniels says. “Project Access promotes continuity of care by allowing patients to choose a doctor or physician practice and make it their medical home.”
In order to qualify for PALCO, a patient must:
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reside in Lancaster County
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have no access to medical insurance
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not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare
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have an income less than 200% of the federal poverty level (in Lancaster County, a family of four would earn $41,000 or less to qualify)
Patients can self-refer or are referred to PALCO by one of the participating community clinics or private physicians.
Once a patient is enrolled, he or she receives a PALCO card that operates the same as an insurance card whenever a patient visits a doctor’s office. “This card provides them with the exact same access to medical care as someone who is insured,” Dr. Daniels says. Doctors are usually unaware if a patient is using an insurance card or a Project Access card.
“You never have to tell anybody that you have Project Access,” Dr. Foley adds. “Only our administrators will ever know.”
Specialty coverage
Specialty care coverage is one of the most important benefits of this program. Physicians like Dr. Daniels are more confident that when they refer a patient to a specialist, he or she will likely to follow through and schedule an appointment.
One such example where chronic care or regular disease management is essential is diabetic patients, where a lapse in care could lead to serious medical issues.
“Some people know they have diabetes, but just feel they can’t afford the care so they try to get by without it,” Dr. Daniels says. “But cutting corners can lead to far more costly health problems, like a diabetic foot ulcer.”
PALCO participants are not only are able to see a specialist, but with local pharmacists also participating in the program, medicine is also being provided to patients at a discount.
Proven success
Though new to Lancaster County, Project Access is a nationwide program with a proven track record. It was first introduced locally by Bill Fife and Helen Jones of SouthEast Lancaster Health Services, 625 S. Duke St., who had identified Project Access as a program worth exploring in our community.
“We saw that this was very successful in multiple communities across the country over the past 10 years, and we thought this could work here as well,” Dr. Daniels says.
PALCO members sign a responsibility agreement promising to:
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keep their appointments or cancel at least 24 hours in advance
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agree not to use the emergency department except in an emergency
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schedule appointments with physicians who are volunteering with PALCO
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be courteous to the physicians and medical staff.
“We’re not creating anything new,” Dr. Daniels adds. “What we’re doing is coordinating existing resources to address a growing problem.”
“This really brings you back to the reason you became a doctor in the first place… helping people who need it,” Dr. Foley says.
Doctors that are members of the PALCO Steering Committee are Laurence Carroll, MD; Bret Daniels, MD; William Fife, MD; T. Ray Foley, MD; Jerome Gottlieb, MD; Christopher Hager, MD; Coleen Kayden, R Ph; Chip Mershon, MD; and Scott Silverstein, DO.
For more information about PALCO, call 392-1595. Click here to see a complete list of participating physicians.
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