LOUISVILLE, Ky. and
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Missing a
child's parent-teacher conference or a doctor's visit due to lack
of transportation is a reality for many living in Kentucky's western counties. WellCare of
Kentucky, a subsidiary of WellCare
Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG), understands the need for reliable
transportation to improve health. As a result, WellCare has granted
$25,000 to Pennyrile Allied Community
Services (PACS) for its transportation services program—the largest
transportation grant WellCare has ever awarded in the state.
The WellCare grant will fund travel services for medical- and
school-related trips for low-income individuals and families. The
medical transportation program will be implemented in Christian, Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon, Todd
and Trigg counties, while the
school transportation program will be offered only in Caldwell
County.
Through WellCare community health forums, called
HealthConnections Councils, area residents identified
transportation as the most urgent service gap for health in western
Kentucky. The travel program was
developed as a direct result of those forums.
"We heard the community health leaders in western Kentucky loud and clear. Transportation is an
overlooked necessity for preventing disease and improving health,
especially for those with chronic conditions," said Bill Jones, president, WellCare of Kentucky. "These vouchers are a smart
investment in community health because regular, reliable access to
health care helps people address health concerns quickly, instead
of delaying care until travel is convenient or affordable. By
reducing those health risks early, we can slow disease progression
and help prevent future hospitalizations."
WellCare partnered with PACS to provide similar transportation
vouchers in Muhlenberg and
Hopkins counties in Kentucky. The program provided more than 100
medical transportation trips in 2016.
PACS is a private, nonprofit community action agency dedicated
to reducing and eliminating poverty in nine western Kentucky counties by providing opportunities
for education, training and work. The PACS transportation program
carries out the organization's mission by providing safe, reliable
and affordable transportation options to the residents of the
Pennyrile region.
Transportation services can be used by low-income residents
seeking medical transportation, such as trips to dental, vision,
hearing, pharmacy and behavioral health appointments. Travel
vouchers are available now and may be used until June 30, 2018. To learn more about the program,
or to schedule a trip, visit http://www.pacs-ky.org or call the
PACS office at 270-886-7999. Trips must be scheduled at least 24
hours in advance.
As of June 30, 2017, WellCare
serves approximately 446,000 Medicaid members, 9,000 Medicare
Advantage plan members and 23,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
members in Kentucky. To learn more
about how we care for Kentuckians, watch Brandi's story at
http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in
Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health
Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing
government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through
Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans,
to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical
needs. WellCare serves approximately 4.4 million members nationwide
as of June 30, 2017. For more
information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at
www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at
https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.