To the editor:
“Alice” has a thyroid issue, but she let it go untreated for months. She simply could not afford the upfront fee to see a doctor, the blood tests and the medicine. “I was stuck,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. I had no options.”
“Bonnie’s” partner had double pneumonia a couple years ago and now has breathing problems. But X-rays show his lungs are clear; what was he supposed to do? And her daughter has been having severe headaches that cause her to miss school.
“Charles” has a liver problem that requires regular testing and monitoring. His daughter has a heart condition and had been seeing an expensive doctor at Riley.
These families and others are now scholarship members of the Brown County Health and Wellness Center. Thanks to the support of the Brown County Community Foundation and a few other donors, they can visit a health professional as often as they need to — free.
Members like these, identified by the Brown Countians for Quality Health Care, have the opportunity to see what the clinic can do for them. Exams, labs, some meds, referrals to the most cost-effective specialists and telemedicine connections are available.
Before receiving a scholarship, one family went uninsured because they were unable to pay the $1,700 per month with a $6,000 deductible, so they had no coverage until the scholarship. The cost for that family through the clinic is $125 a month. All the families currently being helped are working, but adequate health care was still beyond their financial abilities.
The scholarship program is not designed to help people indefinitely. It is an opportunity to find out what is available, in the hope that most recipients will see the value and find a way to pay for the care — or at least part of it — on their own.
The system isn’t perfect: Some conditions are beyond the scope of primary care, or a specific lab or medicine is not covered, and sometimes there is a wait to see a specialist. But reports are that the staff sincerely tries to find the best solutions for each patient. “The staff is great,” patients report. “They clearly like their work.”
The scholarship program was offered as a pilot. We believe it is working. But funds are running out. Donations are needed to offer this kind of care to more needy people.
If you, your church or service group can help, please send donations to Brown County for Quality Health Care, a 501(c)(3) organization, to P.O. Box 1382, Nashville, IN 47448.
Let’s pull together as a community and show the rest of the state what can be done with compassion and coordination! One thing we know about the people of Brown County: They care about each other. Here is a chance to help people with a real problem, “How to get better.” Please donate to our effort. Thank you.
Judith East, Nashville
