By SHEILA P. FREEMAN

Executive Director, Spring Creek Health Cooperative

Spring Creek Health Cooperative is a non-profit corporation that has been providing prescription assistance to the uninsured and under-insured since 2001.

Currently, we have offices in Early, Miller, Mitchell and Seminole Counties, but also serve Baker, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Grady, Lowndes, Quitman, Randolph, and Thomas Counties, as well as five counties in Alabama and Florida.

Eligibile persons include unemployed adults, employed persons without health insurance, college students, Medicare patients in the “doughnut hole,” uninsured children, and persons without prescription coverage, even if they have health insurance. Annual income requirements for a single person is around $27,000 and for a larger family such as a family of four it is $55,000. However, income limits vary by pharmaceutical companies so call for further information.

During 2011, Spring Creek Health provided a tremendous amount of assistance to patients in Decatur County. We served a total of 129 patients of which 30 were new enrollees. During the year, the pharmaceutical coordinator made 198 personal contacts, completing 728 Rx applications and filled 2,184 prescriptions valued at more than $327,750. Throughout Southwest Georgia, the Spring Creek Health network provided more than $4.4 million of free medications during 2011 and with the current economy and high unemployment; we anticipate a 15% increase in 2012.

Without assistance from Spring Creek Health, many of these patients would fail to access their medications resulting in more sick days, more emergency room visits and more hospital admissions for those least able to pay for care placing an additional burden on the local hospital and taxpayer.

Spring Creek Health Cooperative’s goal is to eliminate health disparities, promote wellness, and achieve greater health system savings in Southwest Georgia. We know by partnering with Pioneer Hospital and Early County community leaders, Spring Creek Health will be able to achieve these goals and serve more patients in need while decreasing uncompensated cost for the hospital and taxpayers.

If you or someone you know is without prescription coverage, please call our Miller County office at (229) 758-6064 for an appointment to enroll. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The processing fee is $30 for in-network and $40 for out-of-network each quarter, no matter how many medications need to be ordered.

We strive to help patients improve their health by accessing prescribed medications at the lowest price possible and in most cases it is free. Don’t delay, give us a call today! Spring Creek Health Cooperative is “The Right Prescription for Community Health!”