By Carrie Pond
Benton, KY – An organization that provides rural residents, many of them senior citizens, with access to affordable medications has been forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding. The University of Kentucky-operated Homeplace provides access to medical, social, and environmental services across the Commonwealth, including 16 Western Kentucky Counties. 6th district representative Will Coursey says the closure came with little warning. Homeplace employees were simply told the money wasn't there to continue operations and they were to close up shop. He says the closure will affect a group of people already facing tough circumstances.
"A lot of them, they've sort of fallen through the cracks. They don't qualify for some of the welfare programs; they don't qualify for Medicare. So, they're sort of between a rock and a hard place."
Coursey says he hopes the budget situation will improve enough to re-open the Homeplace's doors. He says Governor Beshear has also proposed a new prescription assistance program that should be up and running by March. In the meantime, he says folks should try to get help from other programs- Paducah's Heart USA and the Kentucky Health Insurance Assistance Program.